Ponies, Promises, and Paramedics
by Emom
Summary: Book II to STORM RIDERS. Johnny's obligation to Thunder Ranch sends him into a spiral of deception, hatred, greed, and consequences that he couldn't have dreamed of. Meanwhile, family and friends are finding that sometimes promises are hard to keep. This is a continuation of Storm Riders, timeline and OC's are already established in Book I.
1. Chapter 1

**PONIES, PROMISES, AND PARAMEDICS**

_These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home._

Hello Boys! I'm baaaaacccckkk! Russell Casse, Independence Day

_This is Book II, to STORM RIDERS. Welcome back to my readers! You helped make Storm Riders such a blast to write,_ I_ can't wait to share this next journey with you. Mr. Muse took a little vacay, spent some time with family, did some gish'ing, and came out the other side ready to put our boys to the task of carrying on with life in Carson, and in Sierra Grande. I won't be spending much time backtracking, instead, moving this train forward to new adventures. Old characters are well established, and new ones will pop up along the way. So, hold on for the ride and keep sharing your thoughts with me._

* * *

CHAPTER 1

She poked at the campfire with a long stick, watching the sparks drift up into the star-filled night. Even though the nights were still warm, fall was just around the corner, and the heat felt good against her skin. Hearing him approach, she waited for his arms to wrap around her waist and pull her close. It was another perfect night for the engaged couple, and she wanted an endless supply of them in their future. When she didn't feel him, she turned around and found him standing just behind her.

Something was wrong.

"Johnny?"

He pulled up a quick smile and passed her the plate of materials for smores. "Sorry, got distracted for a minute. Fire looks ready."

Narrowing her brow, she decided it could wait until another time. The evening was just too nice.

"All ready," she smiled back at him.

"SMORES!" Matthew cheered out, making them laugh.

"Come on, buddy." Johnny picked up the tyke who had Rookie right on his heels. "Let's toast some marshmallows."

Sitting on the large split log, Lily stacked their crackers and chocolate as Johnny helped Matthew put the marshmallows on the stick. With Matthew holding the stick, Johnny stayed right at his side.

"Don't burn them," Lily teased him.

"Those are the best ones," Johnny said, looking at her like she'd lost her mind.

Lily shook her head. "Well, don't kill mine is all I'm asking."

He winked at her. "One barely flame touched mellow for mom."

"I wanna do it!"

Johnny laughed. "Okay, here, I'll show you."

"So beautiful," Lily commented while looking up at the stars.

Looking over at her, Johnny couldn't help but reach out and tuck a long blonde curl behind her ear. "Very beautiful."

She smiled softly, then raised her brow. "You're burning my smore."

He quickly pulled the stick out of the fire and chuckled. "Well, stop distracting me."

Laughing, she patted the space next to her. "Sit up here with me, baby," Lily said as she helped Matthew onto the bench.

Johnny moved to the other side of her and finished stacking his dessert. She was already making fun of him as he tried to avoid wearing the sticky material. Taking her finger, she wiped it across his lips. Quickly, smores were forgotten, and Johnny pressed his lips against hers.

When Rookie started barking like crazy, they both looked up to see who the intruder was.

"Nobody said I was supposed to have a date."

Lily let out a sigh, then smirked at Johnny. "You'll just let anybody walk through the front door, won't you?"

Grinning, he stood up and shook the man's hand. "Welcome back."

"Uncle Mark!" Matthew jumped into his arms.

"Matty, my little man, look how much you've grown!"

Matthew giggled as Mark tickled him.

Lily wrapped her arms around her big brother. "It's so good to see you." She glanced around. "Dad?"

"He's in the restroom and will be right out." He clapped his hands together. "Smores? Reliving your girl scout glory days?" He laughed at her.

Smacking his chest, she let out a grunt. "You know I can out build you in campfires with both hands tied behind my back."

"Really?" Johnny said with a raised brow.

She shook her head and pointed a finger at him. "Don't go there."

"If we missed dinner, blame your brother. He's the slowest driver this side of the Mississippi."

"Dad!" Lily's arms wrapped around her father. "You look great!"

Eli chuckled. "Feeling good, honey, feeling good."

Everyone gathered back around the fire, as Johnny threw a couple more logs on it. The flames reached high as everyone soaked in the warmth of it.

"How was the drive?" Johnny asked them.

"Not too bad. We took it slower this time," Mark told them. "Dad here decided to become a tourist and wanted to see all the sights along the way."

Eli shrugged and looked over to Lily. "Well, figured it was my last trip on that path, so I might as well see everything while I could."

Her eyes got wide with panic. "What?"

He smiled, warmly at her. "I've come home to stay."

She looked from Eli to Mark. "What?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "He's ready. I've already set him up with outpatient rehab at Rampart. He starts next Monday."

Lily teared up. "You're home?"

"Yes, honey. I'm home."

Jumping up, she leaped into his arms, now crying.

Johnny was happy with the news also. "That's great! Everyone's going to be thrilled to have you back home."

Eli brushed the hair from her face. "It's been a long road, but I'm ready."

"This calls for a celebration," Mark announced as he pulled out a bottle of champagne.

"Leave it to Mark to be prepared," Lily laughed. "This is definitely something to celebrate."

Even Eli partook of the refreshments and sipped on the bubbly. Johnny had been watching him closely, and he had to admit, the man looked really great. He'd put some weight back on, he was up and walking on his own, and the oxygen tank was sitting on the back porch in case he needed it. He really had come a long way from almost dying that stormy night.

Lily had settled back into her life here in Sierra since returning from Portland, but Johnny also knew that it was hard on her having the other part of her life so far away. The joy radiated off her now at having Eli back close to her. Standing up, he slipped his arm around her as they worked at getting each other caught up. Matthew slid out of Mark's lap, toddled over to Johnny and reached up to him. Without pausing in the conversation, Johnny pulled the boy into his arms and felt him snuggle into his shoulder. His hand went to his back, gently rubbing circles along it.

Mark watched them as they talked. Lily's eyes were lit up with excitement, Eli was completely at home already, and Johnny clearly had become a part of this family. Walking over to him, Mark peeked at the almost asleep child, so comforted in this man's arms.

"Looks like he's almost down for the count."

Johnny nodded. "Should be," he chuckled. "riding lessons, a nature hike, then we took down two damaged trees today."

Mark grinned for a moment, then his look softened. "He's in really good hands here."

He was a little taken aback by the sincere compliment. "Thanks."

"I mean it, Johnny. I'm glad my sister found you."

Johnny smiled. "Well, it took a little while, but we finally figured it out."

She turned to him. "I'm glad we did."

"So, when's this wedding going to happen?" Eli asked them.

Shrugging, Johnny turned to Lily. "She's the one in charge here."

Mark laughed. "Somethings never change, huh?"

"Smarty. We're thinking about a spring wedding, but Joanne about had a heart attack with less than a year to plan."

Johnny kissed her cheek. "I've told you before. You set the date, and I promise to be there."

"But hormonal Joanne is kinda scary."

Johnny laughed and pulled her closer. "Non-hormonal Jo can be scary sometimes, but this is your day."

"This young man is exactly right. You pick the date, and we'll all be there for you both."

Eli stood up and looked a bit shaky. Mark's hand was at his elbow.

"You alright, dad?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine, just tired."

"It's been a long two days getting here. Let's get you home for some rest, dad," Mark told him.

Lily smiled. "I'll be home soon."

"Take your time, honey."

"Why don't you let us take him, then you don't have to feel as rushed." Mark reached out for the sleeping toddler.

Johnny passed him over. "Thanks."

After a nice evening of family and conversation, Mark took Eli back to Lily's house as she helped Johnny put the fire out and clean up. With the outside lights off, she locked the back door and turned to him as he cleaned up the kitchen. While he washed up the last of the dishes, Rookie rested under the table waiting for him humans to settle down for the night. Lily kept her eye on Johnny, knowing something was off about him. She'd known it since the moment he stepped out of the house this evening.

"Ready to talk about it yet?"

Before turning around, he let out a deep breath. "Got a call today."

* * *

Johnny pressed his palms against his jeans in an effort to remove the nervous sweat that was building up. Shifting in his seat was doing nothing for the anxiety that he felt as he sat in the old, hard, wooden chair. He was the only one in the small waiting area, and for that, he was slightly grateful, though idle small talk would have made the time go by faster.

Looking down the hallway, the familiar door at the end was closed, keeping him in the dark as to what fate laid for him beyond its threshold. A small smile curved on his lips as he pictured his best friend stomping down that same hall and landing the punch that put Bobby on the floor. Then, as soon as it appeared, it was gone again. It had been a punch that landed Roy in jail, with months of after-effects on his family.

Of course, he'd never dreamt that coming to this place to make some extra money would have had such life-altering complications for him and those around him. It had started with a horse and a signature on a contract that brought him back to Thunder Ranch today. The call was expected, even if it did take much longer than he had anticipated. So, here he was, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, waiting for an even more uncomfortable meeting with a man that clearly didn't like him.

Could it get any worse at this point? _Don't tempt fate, Johnny boy_, he told himself. This should be the last job he owed to Bobby. He just had to get past it, then he wouldn't set foot here again, ever. That was a promise to himself, and one that he intended on keeping.

When he heard the creaking, his eyes were once again fixed on the worn wooden door down the hall. There they found Al Craig, Bobby's only living brother, waving him into the office. Pushing his shoulders back and holding his head high, Johnny joined the older man and sat down in the chair across from the desk. Al closed the door behind him and took his own seat behind the desk.

The man was older, sixties most likely, heavyset and seemed to vacillate between a car salesman grin, and a hateful scowl. It was the fake smile that greeted him this morning.

"Johnny Gage."

There was nothing that he cared for about this man. It really wasn't in his nature to hate someone, but every one of his senses had skyrocketed to red alert stage just by being in the office. Johnny simply nodded his head at the man, watching him shift through a stack of papers on his desk.

Keep your mouth shut, get the job, then get back home, he kept telling himself.

Looking around the office, he was impressed with the change since obtaining its new occupant. All the clutter was gone, leaving plenty of walking space around the desk now. The bookshelves were dusted and full of neatly stacked books and magazines. Johnny tried to view the titles, but could only get enough to know they were legal and business books mostly. There was a single large framed work of art on the wall, which was beautifully done of pastureland and horses during a sunset in the mountains. Beyond that, it was bare.

Al found the piece of paper he was looking for and laid it in front of Johnny. "You recognize this?"

Of course, he did. It was his contract to purchase Dakota, minus the "paid in full" stamp.

"Yes."

"And is that signature at the bottom yours?"

"Yes, it is." Johnny struggled to keep his words simple and to the point. The man was enjoying all this way too much.

Al leaned back in his chair, eyeing the young man before him. His smile faded to more of a sneer.

"The best way I can see of this contract is that you owe this ranch one more job."

Johnny pushed the contract back and nodded. "I signed for three jobs, so I'll complete three jobs."

"Good, that's a good answer, boy."

Johnny cringed inside and felt just a little bit smaller.

"Because I wouldn't want any confusion on whether your obligation was paid in full or not."

Damn, that meant he knew about Wes.

Sitting forward, Al rummaged through the papers again, pulling out a large manila envelope from the bottom.

"I would have taken you off this job, but my brother already had your name on the contracts. So, it's a done deal."

Johnny raised his brow. "The third job?"

Al looked annoyed, if not disgusted with his options. "Looks like I'm stuck with you for this." His pen tapped the papers. "Bobby purchased some ponies, and I need you to go pick them up and transport them here."

Ponies? His mood instantly lifted. He could do ponies.

"Okay." Of course, his inner Roy voice was chiding him. The devil could be in the details.

"They're up in Billings. This has all the information for you." He pushed the large envelope towards him.

"Billings?" That was a long way away. "How many?"

"Fifteen."

Johnny couldn't help the surprise on his face. Fifteen? How was he supposed to move fifteen horses?

"When?"

"November."

That was almost four months away. "Why not now?"

"He bought them through the Federal Land Management program."

"Wild mustangs?"

Al nodded. "They're closing one of their boarding facilities and have to get rid of all the horses, or they go to slaughter. My frivolous brother bought fifteen of them. Thunder Ranch will provide the semi-hauler and driver, cost of getting you up there, and of course getting back. I'll send one wrangler with you and my personal vet. You're responsible for coordinating the trip, getting up there, picking out the horses worth buying, and getting them back alive."

Johnny raised his brow at the 'alive' part. "Vet?"

"You're going to need professional advice on which ponies can survive the trip. If you get back with eighty percent of the purchase, in less than five days, your job three will be paid in full."

"And if not?" Here it comes.

"Anything less than, you still owe me a job." He glowered at Johnny. "And trust me, mine won't be so easy to deal with."

He really disliked this man.

Moving 15 wild horses, from that distance, in five days? It was going to be a logistical nightmare, but what choice did he have? "Okay."

"All the details are in there, including phone contacts here and there. I'm done with this, it's on you. You can leave now."

He was still trying to figure out what Bobby wanted with wild horses. The man had no patience with even one who was mildly unbroken. Sometimes, these free-range horses could never be broken, and that would mean lost income for the ranch owner. Honestly, it just didn't sound like something Bobby would have come up with for the last job for him.

Al didn't even look back up at him as he stood and headed back down the hall. Moving horses? He could do this. With envelope in hand, he left the office with a sense of relief.

Outside, the hot sun was beating down, and he glanced over at the main arena to find some familiar faces sitting along the fence as one of the wranglers worked at breaking a horse's spirit. It wasn't his style, but he knew it was a way of life here. And a business. With a quick wave, he headed around the house to a smaller barn that rested under the shade of some large oak trees. Parked in front was a truck he knew all too well.

Inside, Johnny saw that most of the stalls were full of horses, more than one would typically see in the middle of the week. When a figure came out of the tack room, he smiled and waved.

"Johnny?"

Wes was not happy to see him.

"Wes."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

That night when Wes had shown up at his door with a plan to save him from the third job was still fresh in his memories. It had also included a promise to never set foot back on this property. Yet here he was, once again.

Johnny let out a sigh. "He hunted me down."

"You're kidding. Damn it all. He knows?" The wrangler pulled off his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair.

He nodded as he leaned against one of the stall doors. "Seems too, though he didn't really address it with me."

"So, what's the job?"

"Did you know Bobby had invested in a bunch of wild mustangs up in Billings?"

Wes shook his head. "That doesn't sound like Bobby."

Johnny cocked his head. "Agreed. But apparently, he did. I have to go get them. You know, I could use some good help." He smiled.

Wes was shaking his head already. "Not so sure I want to get wrapped up in your jobs, my friend. Besides, I might be unemployed by then," he half chuckled.

Johnny grimaced. Another casualty in the aftermath of his decision. "I hope not. But, either way, I'm going to need an experienced crew with me to get this done. I have a deadline to get them back."

"Or?"

"Or it doesn't count."

Wes threw down his shovel. "That's BS!"

Johnny just shrugged. He knew he was trapped. "So, I've got to get it done."

"Let me know details as you pull it together. I'll see what I can do. I at least know enough contacts to help you set up a crew."

With a nod, Johnny gave him a smile of appreciation. "Thanks, man."

Wes let out a sigh. "Of course." Then he chuckled. "Hey, I saw a friend of yours the other day."

"Oh? Who?"

"Sheila."

Johnny did smile at that. "Really? How's she looking?"

"She looks great. The owner had her at the vet, and I heard her name. Sure enough, it was her. The guy said she's a perfect horse."

"That's great!"

"I mentioned your work with her, and he was really impressed, said to tell you thanks for saving her."

Nothing made Johnny happier at that moment. "That's really good to hear." He raised his brow. "So?"

Wes frowned a bit but knew how persistent the man would be over this. "Who else is going?"

"No idea right now. He's sending a wrangler with me and a vet, beyond that, I can take who I want."

"Vet?"

"Yea."

"Did he say who?"

Johnny shrugged and pulled the stack of papers out of the envelope. Wes walked over beside him and looked at the documents with him.

"Vet," Johnny said, pointing to a name.

Wes was immediately shaking his head.

"What?"

"I'm not going if she's going."

Johnny looked at the name. "Copeland." He didn't recognize it at all. "You know her?"

Wes stepped back. "She's his 'personal' vet. Stuck her here at the ranch in charge of all the medical decisions."

"She's not good?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't say that, but she's new out of school and doesn't always make the best decisions." Stepping back, he leaned against one of the stall gates. "Look, just be careful around her is all I'm saying."

Johnny tilted his head in question. "What do you mean?"

"She's bad news, man. Just…just be careful." He leaned forward, rocking back on solid feet and stepping away from Johnny. "Look, I've got to get back to work. Let me know when you get things organized, and I'll give you a final answer."

The conversation was over, and now he was leaving with more questions than when he came.

Pulling down his driveway, he couldn't help but smile at the car parked by the large oak tree. Rookie greeted him immediately, jumping up on his legs before he could even get out of the truck. Johnny reached down to rub his head.

"Heya, boy. You keeping him company till I got back?" Rookie barked and ran around in circles with excitement, making Johnny laugh. "Okay, come on."

Stepping up on the porch, he leaned against the railing. "Been here long?"

The expression on his friend's face told him that the man wasn't messing around as he remained quiet.

Johnny let out a sigh. "MaryAnn?"

"You promised to let me know when you got the call."

Running his fingers through his hair, he knew he'd screwed up. "Sorry, but I did tell MaryAnn at least."

"And getting a worried phone call from her wasn't what I was expecting today."

Johnny took a seat in the rocking chair next to him. "A lot happened that day, then Lily was full of questions. I just tried to put it out of my head for a little while."

Roy let the lack of phone call slide for now. He'd offered to go with his friend, but Johnny was right, all they had made him promise was to let someone know. At least he'd done that.

"What did he want?"

"Job number three."

Roy's anxiety was already up. He wasn't in the mood to play 'guess the job' games.

Johnny chuckled, reading his brother like a well-weathered novel. "I just have to go pick up a load of horses and bring them back to the ranch."

The other man's brow narrowed. "That's all? What's the catch."

Shaking his head with a grin, he leaned forward in the chair. "No catch. Pick um up, and deliver them. Then I'm paid off. Now, you ready for this weekend?"

Roy's mood shifted instantly. "How I let you talk me into this I will never know."

"The real question is, how did you ever get Joanne to let you go?"

Standing up, Roy stretched out his back. "She said yes." Then he looked back at his partner. "And I don't question her decisions anymore."

Johnny laughed. "I bet not. She still feeling okay?"

"Yea seems like the worst of the morning sickness is over, and she's feeling back to normal. Well, as normal as you can feel at five months pregnant."

"Glad she's feeling better though. Look, this weekend is going to be great. Come on, let's grab a beer."

* * *

Lily sat down on the porch swing and leaned her head on her father's shoulder.

"It's so good to have you home, Dad."

He gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "It's good to be back home, honey, though I'd rather you be here with me this weekend."

She squeezed his hand. "This is something important. I'll be back soon," she told him.

"Promise?" He asked with a heavy heart.

"I promise, Dad."

"What is she promising now?" Mark asked as he passed them a glass of tea and sat down in the nearby chair.

Eli nodded at his oldest. "That you will bring her back safely to me."

Mark nodded. "Of course. Anything less and I'd never hear the end of it."

"I'll be here to take you to your first rehab appointment," she said, sitting up, still holding his hand. Having him back home made it seem like the pieces of her life were finally coming together.

"Good."

"Come on, Dad, you need to rest," Mark told him, standing up and helping the older man get to his feet.

Eli glanced at Lily. "He makes me feel like a child again."

She smiled at him. "He's getting you well for us again. Listen to him."

With a chuckle, he headed to the door. "Yes, ma'am."

When Mark rejoined her on the porch, she looked at him with concern. The creased lines around his face spoke of exhaustion and high-stress levels.

"Talk to me," she told him.

"I'm not talking about it."

Mark and Eli had come back to California just a few days before, without even letting her know. She knew now about the rehab arrangements and that Mark had transferred his care back to California. The question was what happened, and why was Mark still hanging out here?

"Does Millie know where you are?" It was a loaded question, and probably the first time she had spoken the woman's name in months.

He looked over to his sister, his face wracked with guilt. She knew he held himself responsible for what had happened to her and Matthew up in Portland.

"Please, Lil, I can't talk about it yet."

He was hurting, and it made her hurt too. Where were the kids? Had Millie taken them from him? Had he walked away from them? Was he ever going back? Getting up, she went and sat down beside him, just taking his hand in hers, and leaned against him. He had always been her protector, and in his mind, he had failed her and Matty. Now, she had to convince him that everything was going to be okay.

But was it?

"You know, if you're not ready to get back in the saddle, I understand. Please don't feel like you have to go this weekend."

"What? Afraid I'm going to leave you in the dust?"

She laughed. "You leave me in the dust?" She patted his belly. "I'm not the one who been laying around eating potato chips all summer."

"Hey, you calling me fat?" He rubbed his own belly and shifted to face her.

Calling her brother fat was like calling Johnny a pyromaniac.

"Okay, fine. But please, don't do this for me. Stay home with dad, it's totally fine."

"No way I'm letting you do this alone."

She laughed. "I won't be alone."

"Whatever. I'm coming too."

* * *

Johnny scattered the papers across the dining room table and tried to begin sorting them out. Roy was already asleep upstairs, but his mind couldn't stop thinking about this last job. He had two months to plan on who to take, how to get them there, buying over a dozen ponies, and getting everyone back alive and intact in just five days. The more he processed the job, the more his anxiety rose. What the hell was he thinking?

"Set your dates first. We need to know when to ask off."

Roy walked over and poured a cup of coffee before joining him at the table.

Johnny smiled a bit. "We?"

Roy shrugged. "I've never been to Montana."

"Thanks, Roy."

"Decide how many hands you need, keeping the numbers tight. More people just means more chaos sometimes." Roy picked up one of the papers. "Give everyone plenty of notice, set up a planning meeting, so everyone's on the same page."

Over the next hour, the two men pushed through the stack of forms and got a better handle on what to expect. Step one of planning: know what the hell is being asked of you.

Putting his empty cup in the sink, Roy shook his head. "This won't be figured out tonight. Get some sleep. We need it."

Johnny nodded in agreement. "I'm right behind you."

Roy chuckled. "That's what you said last time."

"Roy, you know you don't have to do this tomorrow. It's totally okay to sit it out."

Roy didn't look very certain, but he still gave him a nod. "I said I'd do it. Besides, I can't let you alone."

"Well, I won't be alone."

Roy raised his brow. "Then what? Think I can't cut it?"

That was one thing Johnny didn't have any concern about. His partner was in great shape, in fact, he might get even leave him in the dust. The effort wasn't the issue. He raised his own brow.

"I'll be fine," Roy said with a final resignation. "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."


	2. Chapter 2

**PONIES, PROMISES, AND PARAMEDICS**

_These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home._

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ~Edmund Hillary

_A/N: Thank you so much for your notes and PM's! I'm enjoying being back in Sierra also. Our adventure continues, hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think._

* * *

CHAPTER 2

Blue skies up above with scattered clouds, little shade, and the lack of a breeze meant the sweat was running down his back, making his white t-shirt stick to his skin. The figure in front of him wasn't faltering, and he couldn't show any weakness here. He was already felt like a beginner in this venture. Chuckling, he just shook his head and followed. The leader was the one in control, and he was back up support in this exercise. It wasn't something he was accustomed too. Following. Here, though, it didn't bother him in the least, and he did it happily. Reaching down, he smacked his leg, swatting the biting insects that were relentlessly nipping at his flesh. Another minor inconvenience in the course of the late summer day. What lay ahead was much, much more daunting, and if he pondered it too much, worrisome.

The trail was narrow with a strenuous and steady incline that he could feel in his lungs, and still, his partner was showing no signs of slowing. When she turned around, her emerald eyes and beautiful smile took his breath away.

"Doing okay?" She asked in a teasing manner.

"I'm fine," he answered with a tiny bit of snark that only made her laugh.

"Only another couple of hours and we reach the point to set up camp."

"Okay."

It really was fine; he'd follow her anywhere.

Behind him, another voice chuckled, and he looked back to Roy and Mark, neither of which were ready to admit it was them. But both men were also wringing wet with sweat and feeling the rising elevation as they hiked.

The David Franssen Trail would lead them right to the base of the Sleeping Giant. Johnny had only seen this place once, from the other side. Fondly, he remembered the figure climbing up the side of it and his assumption that it had been Grace. It a way it seemed like yesterday, but his heart knew it wasn't.

The hiking party paused when they emerged from the tree line to an outcropping of rocks. Lily immediately sat down on the edge, stretching out her legs and let her backpack slide off her shoulders to the ground. Mark walked up behind her and looked at the sweeping mountain view.

"Pretty nice."

She patted the ground next to her. "Take a load off, old man." Looking up, she winked at him.

Mark plopped down beside her. "I'm going to tell dad how mean you're being to me."

Reaching into her pack, she pulled out a baggie. "I'll share my cookies with you," she said with a smile, trying to hold back the laughter.

"Ohh, cookies," he replied as his hand dipped into the bag.

She looked back to Johnny. "Works every time."

He laughed at the siblings. The more time he spent seeing them together, the more he realized how close they really were.

Roy pulled his pack off and wandered to the edge to take in the view. "Impressive." He pointed below. "What lake is that?"

Johnny walked up beside him and felt a sadness sweep over him. "Twin Mountain Lake." He pointed across the way to the tall matching mountain peaks.

"Someone has a nice setup down there," Mark said, referring to the cabin sitting in the lush green valley.

"That's Charlie's cabin, Grace's," he said softly, flooded with too many memories.

Lily looked up to him with surprise. "What?"

Sitting down next to her, he slipped his arm around her waist. "That's where Grace lived after Charlie was gone. It's yours now, yours and Annie's."

She was a little annoyed. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Karl tried to clean it out after Grace was gone, but he just couldn't handle it. That's where your mother's paintings came from, and the other things he gave you. I think it's just been hard for any of us to …" He paused. "I'm sorry we didn't let you know sooner."

Smiling softly at him, she pulled his face closer to her. "Don't be sorry, I do understand. Facing some memories can be harder than anyone could imagine. But I'm glad I know now. Maybe I can help Karl deal with it."

Johnny nodded. "I think he'd like that." Looking back at the beautiful setting below, he pointed to the cabin. "That's a small stable for the horses, and that's a back road that goes to town. And over there, through the woods is a great hiking trail. We'll take the horses down it soon, and I'll show you a piece of your history."

Her arms wrapped around him. "I'd really like that."

"Needs some work I bet," Mark added. "We could work on it this winter."

Johnny and Lily looked at each other, and she couldn't help but smile. More and more, she felt that Mark would eventually settle here with his family.

"Hey, how much further to the camping site?" Mark asked.

Standing back up, Johnny reached a hand to Lily. "Ask the boss here."

"About another hour to basecamp. Can you make it ole timer?" She laughed at her brother.

"Lead on master trainee," Mark answered with a big smile.

The sweltering heat of summer bore down on them with hot, dry temperatures. Johnny wiped his brow and looked up, seeing the rock-faced mountain just over the treetops. Beside him, Roy kept the steady pace, though clearly was avoiding looking up.

Johnny was trying his best to not tease him about his fear of heights. "You know, she really appreciates you coming with us."

"Sounds like she's putting a lot of work into this certification."

"She is. Once she decided to start working on it, she's been studying like crazy. She's planning on doing four major climbs before being tested on it at the end of the year."

"So, there's climbing and rescue techniques?"

"Yea, then the medical training. I think that's the only part she's worried about."

Roy smiled. "Well, she's engaged to a medic and has a doctor for a brother. I think she'll do just fine."

When the trail split, Lily pointed to the right, and it wasn't much longer until they reached a clearing area surrounded by the forest. Everyone dropped their packs and looked up.

"This is going to be great," Lily announced to the wary group as they gazed up the rock wall that seemed to disappear into the clouds. "Come on guys, it's nothing that you've not done before. Just a little taller."

Johnny's eye widened as he chuckled. "A little taller, huh?"

"Let's get camp set up," Mark told them. "It'll be dark soon."

Johnny reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her close. The kiss was gentle and tender, leaving her breathless.

"I'm a mess," she told him, shaking her head.

"You're perfect."

She laughed. "Now, I know your suffering from heat exhaustion."

He wiped his brow again. "This heat is unreal."

Kissing his cheek, she then returned to her pack. "It's supposed to cool off tomorrow for us. Firewood?"

"You want a fire?"

She nodded with a smile. "Firewood, sweetie."

With two small tents set up and a fire warming up the quickly cooling mountain evening, they gathered around to relax. Johnny put ingredients into a pot that rested on the hot coals, knowing a good meal before they climbed was important.

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

Roy stretched his legs out and leaned against the large rock behind him, as Mark crouched down by the fire, poking to stir the coals under the pot.

"Hey, Johnny, did Lily ever tell you about the boy scout camping trip when she was twelve?"

Lily sat forward quickly. "Don't you dare."

Johnny definitely needed to know now. "Why no, she hasn't."

"Mark," she glared at him.

He continued, ignoring her, as brothers often do. "I was a junior in high school, and my boy scout troop decided to make our annual fall camping trip a family trip. So, you know, parents and brothers and sisters could join us."

Lily sat back with a huff and crossed her arms. Johnny couldn't help but smile at her annoyance with her brother.

"Well, we cooked over the open campfire like now and told stories about our past camping trips. One of the most exciting stories was about how us big kids like doing night hunting in the woods." He sat back on his rear, elbows on his bent knees. "And all the younger kids were so excited about it, they begged us to take them hunting that night. It was really dark and too cloudy for a moon in the sky. After the parents agreed, the six of us older boys, who'd been hunting before led this scraggly, shaking crew of kids into the woods."

He chuckled to himself a bit and glanced over to Lily, who was wide-eyed glaring at him.

"We told them how they had to be quiet, because the animal was skittish, and gave them pillowcases to catch them in. Larry, the troop leader, even told them that they had to use the bags, or the beasts would bite their hands and give them diseases. Well, anyway, we're out in the woods, and it was pitch black. Flashlights scared the animals, so they weren't allowed. One by one, we took the kids and positioned them around the trees, spread them out so they could hear each other, but not see anyone. At first, we just stayed really quiet in the dark, letting everyone settle in. Then our job was to shake the bushes and hit the ground with big sticks, to you know, stir the animals up, so they started running. We were running all over the place like crazy people, making noise, yelling to the kid that had one coming right at him, telling others when they needed to quickly move to the other side of the tree for safety. It was about twenty minutes of chaos."

Another glance over to Lily, who was just shaking her head at him.

"Then Larry yells for everyone to run back to camp, there were too many of them." He laughed. "RUNN!, the man yells, terrifying everyone in the dark. Us older boys tried to keep up with the little ones, but this one," he pointed to Lily. "She runs in the wrong direction, and no one sees her at all."

Johnny wasn't enjoying the story as much anymore. "What happened?"

"Larry got everyone back to camp. The kids were huffing and puffing, their hearts racing with terror, but at the same time talking about how amazing the hunt had been. They were checking each other's bags for catches, but they were all empty, and they were surprised because they had all seen the animals too."

"But what happened to Lily?"

"Well, dad asked about Lily, and we suddenly realized she wasn't at the camp with us. The adults quickly got flashlights and were ready to head into the forest to find her when this thing came out of the woods. It scared everyone to death, and the little kids started screaming and running to find their parents."

"What was it?" Roy asked, now deep into the story.

"Dripping wet, and green, covered in vines and growling at us. I was petrified," he nodded for emphasis.

Johnny's eyes were wide. "What was it?"

Lily was smirking now as Mark looked over to her. She couldn't help but laugh. "Me, it was me. I fell in the swamp."

Johnny started full belly laughing.

She nodded at him. "Yea, it was real funny. But, I did get him back because I went straight for him and he was about ready to wet his pants." She started laughing with the guys. "I was covered in swamp slime and smelled like something had died. Ugh, it was horrible."

"Dad wouldn't even pick her up, she smelled so bad," Mark laughed.

"It took me two days and seven showers to get rid of that smell! I thought mom was going to scrub my skin off!"

Johnny pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek. "Well, you don't smell dead now."

She smacked his arm. "That's not helpful."

He chuckled again.

"Needless to say, that was our last boy scout snipe hunt."

Johnny looked confused. "What's a snipe?"

Roy shook his head. "You've never been snipe hunting?"

He shrugged. "I don't think so."

Mark laughed. "Oh, you'd know."

"Are they just in Texas?"

Roy shook his head again. "Oh, no, you can hunt for them pretty much everywhere."

Mark readily agreed. "Any season and weather too."

Johnny grinned. "Like here? Can we hunt for them here?"

Roy looked over to Mark. "Now, see what you've started?"

Lily was starting to feel bad for him. "Johnny, snipes are…"

"What was that?" Mark announced dramatically as he stood up and looked into the woods.

Roy grinned at Mark's distraction until he heard the noise too.

Then again, a rustling of leaves just behind them. His eyes shot to Johnny, who was already on his feet. Before they could prepare to tackle the unknown wild animal, two hikers emerged from bushes.

"Hi there, sorry, I hope we didn't surprise you."

Johnny shook his head. "Not at all, welcome."

The young couple extended their hands to the group. "I'm Phillip, and this is Renee."

"Hi," she said to them, shyly.

"I'm Johnny, Roy, Mark, and Lily. You two headed up the mountain tomorrow?"

Phillip was about five-ten, brown-headed with a thin scruffy stubble on his jawline. Despite his small, scrawny frame, he was muscular. He also appeared very eager to climb.

"You bet. Everyone going up tomorrow?" He looked warily at Lily.

Johnny caught the look. "Sure are. Lily's our guide, she's done this climb before, first time for us."

That surprised Phillip. "Oh. Hey, it's cool. My second time here, but first climb for her."

"Well, you're welcome to join our fire," Mark told them, leaning over the fire to stir dinner.

"Thanks, hey baby, we can set up over there." Phillip pointed to the other end of the clearing. "Let's set up, then we can eat."

"Okay," she said with a small smile and followed him.

Once their tent was up, the couple never rejoined them, and the others sat around with grumbling stomachs.

"Hungry?" She teased Mark as she passed him the bowl of stew.

"Hey, breakfast was a long time ago."

She spooned out a serving for everyone, then fixed one for herself. Johnny patted the ground between his long, stretched out legs, and she sat down, facing the fire.

"Mmmm, this is delicious," he muttered as he ate.

She snickered. "Well, you were the one that cooked it."

He shrugged with a smile. Glancing back up to the rock face before them, its craggy edges reflecting in the moonlight, his smile slowly dropped. She turned and looked in the same direction.

"Regretting coming?"

"No, I'm looking forward to it." He raised his brow. "Just remember your promise."

Leaning in, she kissed him. "Of course."

Mark stood up and got more stew. "Didn't realize I had to spend four days in the woods to find out that Johnny was the cook in the family."

Roy almost choked on his drink, and Johnny shot him a glare.

Looking between the two, Mark shook his head. "What? Don't all firemen cook?"

"Well, some cook better than others," Roy added, focusing on his bowl of stew.

"Seems like you're scarfing down what's in front of you," Johnny snipped back.

Roy shrugged. "I always did like Jo's stew recipe."

Mark laughed. "Ahh."

Johnny narrowed his brow. "I can cook."

Lily patted his leg. "Yes, you can, baby."

The solid nod of his head was his 'see there' response.

"I especially love your spaghetti."

Johnny looked up to see Roy looking at him. "So, Mark, what's your plans?"

Roy just shook his head with a little smile.

Mark shrugged. "Still working on that. I'll stay for a while and help dad get back and forth to his appointments."

Lily just listened, since he wasn't willing to talk to her about it.

"The ER still has openings. They could use a good trauma doctor. Eli's really been missed around there."

Mark just shrugged again. "I'm sure I'll head back to Portland in a couple of weeks." He looked over to Lily to see her face drop. He knew she wanted him to stay. So much was up in the air now and he really just didn't know what his next steps would be. "Unfinished business."

Eli had accused him of hiding. And it was hard to argue with his father's wise words.

"You could stay, you know, longer," she offered.

"I know. We'll see how things go." He smiled at her, trying to silently reassure her. "What about you, man? I hear you have an interesting trip coming up soon."

"Interesting, to say the least. I think it'll be a fun trip. Montana is beautiful country."

"I've never been that way, more of a Texan at heart," he chuckled.

"Texan," Lily scoffed at him. "You complained every day that you lived there."

"Maybe," he laughed. "But man do I miss my bike though."

"Bike?" Johnny asked him.

"Yea had a Harley. Sweet ride. Man, I miss her."

"Sweet ride, right. You wrecked on her three times. Mom wanted to ban you from them forever after you were in the hospital that last time."

Mark started laughing. "Picture this," he said, sitting up. "Running backwoods roads with some friends, when we come to this trellis train bridge over a ravine. No train in sight, so we pretty much dared each other to go over it. Of course, I insisted on going first."

Lily was rolling her eyes at him.

"I get about half-way, and the front tire breaks through one of the wood slats, shredding the tire. So, I had to get off and push it the rest of the way. That's when I heard the train whistle. The bridge was what? Five hundred feet long? It was huge. I knew I couldn't go back, or they'd never let me live it down. So, I started running with my bike towards the train."

Johnny and Roy had stopped eating.

Mark grinned. "Almost made it too."

"What happened?" Johnny asked.

"I got close enough to the end to jump to the side. But, my grip wasn't very good, and I managed to slide almost all the way down into the ravine. Got lucky."

"Lucky?" She turned to look at Johnny. "Five broken bones, a concussion, and he was in the hospital for almost a month."

"Wow," Johnny said. Then he smiled. "Was it worth it?"

Mark smiled back. "Completely. Though I still miss that bike."

She slapped Johnny's leg.

"Oww, what was that for?"

"Don't even think about it."

He laughed. "I don't even own a bike." Then he paused for a minute. "But Mike does."

"I'm pretty sure Mike wouldn't appreciate you playing chicken with a train on his bike," Roy said dryly.

"Speaking of Mike, his race is coming up next month."

"He races?" Mark asked them.

"Yea, dirt bikes. He's up for the regional games in September."

"I might have to stay and see that then."

"Join us!" Johnny invited him. "We're his pit crew. You can be his medical team," he laughed.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't need my services ever."

Roy gave a nod. "Agreed."

With the stew gone, they pushed their bowls to the side, now weary from the long two-day hike in, and full bellies. Lily leaned back against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her. Sliding his hands down her arms until their fingers interlocked, he pulled her hand up to kiss it. He was still in awe that she said yes to him at the cookout. Being ready for marriage was never there for him until he met her, and now, he was more certain and ready than anyone could comprehend. From the moment he saw her standing at that nursery window, he knew she was the one. And she seemed happy, she seemed ready to him.

He kissed her neck. "I love you."

Smiling, "I love you too."

For a while, the party just sat and stared at the sky full of stars, finding the constellations, and talking about the weeks and months to come. When she yawned, he gently pushed her forward and stood up. With a helping hand, he got her to her feet.

"Bedtime for you," he told her. "You need your energy for tomorrow."

"We all do," Roy said, following their actions.

"Agreed," Mark added. "Night, everyone."

Johnny worked on putting the fire out, then felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Umm, potty break," she said with a smile.

He chuckled. "Okay, I'll meet you at the tent."

Lily grabbed the small bag of tissue and headed into the woods. Looking for a spot of privacy, she froze when she heard some noise ahead of her. These mountains held wild cats, bear, and multiple varieties of snake, though coming face to face with one in the dark wasn't in her plans. Standing still, she listened closely until she suddenly recognized the noise. Following it, she found the younger girl, Renee, leaning against a tree, throwing up.

"Renee, are you okay?"

The young woman was about twenty-two, very pretty with brunette hair and brown eyes. Now, she was much paler than their first meeting, and she almost seemed scared that Lily found her.

"Please, don't tell Phillip. I'm okay, I'm just nervous."

Her concern confused Lily. "I'm sure he'd want to know if you're sick." She walked over and handed her some tissue to wipe her mouth. "He should know why you can't climb tomorrow."

"I'll tell him, just please, don't say anything to him. I will, I promise."

"Okay. Try and get some rest tonight. Let us know if you need anything. My brother's a doctor."

"Okay." Without further conversation, she disappeared into the dark.

She also left Lily with a significant feeling of unease.

By the time she returned to the tent, the campsite was quiet, and all the lights were out except for her and Johnny's tent. Inside, they each had a light blanket and a sleeping bag, now laid out and ready for the night. Johnny was waiting on her as she zipped up the tent behind her. He quickly caught her worried expression.

"What's wrong?"

"I found the girl, Renee, in the woods throwing up. She seems pretty sick."

"Oh, is she okay?" The medic in him was alerted. "Do they need help?"

Lily shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'll check on her in the morning."

Taking her shoes off, she crawled into her warm sleeping bag as he scooted up behind her, slipping his arm around her. To hold her close was pure contentment for him and they easily drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Roy was up with the sun, finding that sleep had not come easily to him, though he'd deny it was nerves. Packing everything back into his pack, he climbed out of the tent and pulled on his jacket. The climb called for light-weight clothing, but the morning demanded a jacket for now. Mark had started rustling around, but Johnny and Lily were still quiet. In a few minutes, he had a small fire started, enough to warm some coffee up.

"Morning," Mark said as he emerged. Pulling his coat closed, he zipped it up and headed to the fire in the cold morning mountain temperatures.

"Morning. Coffee?"

"Definitely," he said, running, his fingers through his hair. "They're still not up?"

Roy just smiled. "Not a peep yet."

Johnny could hear the other's were up and going. Lily was still asleep and snuggled in his arms, warm and safe. He kissed her on the forehead.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead," he whispered to her, rubbing her back.

She stirred, but only moved closer to him, making him chuckle.

"Lily, baby, wake up for me."

A smile appeared before her eyes opened. "I don't wanna."

His smile widened. "Hey, I'm perfectly happy snuggling here all day long, but I think you have other plans."

Her eyes opened as she frowned. "Can I change my mind?"

Running his fingers through her hair, he shook his head. "Come on, it's going to be a great day."

"Okay, fine. Hey, I smell coffee."

"Well, we know Roy's up."

"Bout time you two were up," Mark commented as they emerged from the tent.

She stretched and let out one last yawn. "I'm going to check on Renee before they head back down. Be right back. Save me some of that coffee," she shouted back to them.

"Renee?" Roy asked.

Johnny shrugged. "Guess she was sick last night. Lily just wanted to make sure she was feeling okay enough to hike back out."

The men nodded as they sipped on their coffee and began discussing the morning climb.

Lily wandered across the grounds to where they were pulling on their backpacks. They had already completely packed up camp and were ready to go.

"You guys are heading out early," she said, announcing her arrival.

Phillip smiled, but when he turned around to Lily, she immediately noticed they both were wearing their climbing belts. Renee was not as pleased to see her. "Figured we'd move up early and be out of your way."

"Up?" Lily asked, completely confused now.

"It looks big, but it can get crowded," he chuckled.

She looked over to Renee. "You're feeling better?"

"I'm fine," she answered casually.

Lily wasn't a medic, but she could tell the girl was still feeling under the weather, with pale undertones and flushed cheeks.

Phillip wrapped his arm around her. "My girl's ready. She's going to love this." He looked up. "It's an amazing way to learn to climb."

Lily's eyes widened. "You've not climbed before?"

Renee now looked very nervous. "Phillip's taught me some things."

"Phillip, this is a class five-eleven climb. It's not for beginners, especially sick ones." She reached out to gently take Renee's arm. "You can't do this, it's too dangerous."

"Stop!" Renee cried out, pulling her arm away. "Phillip says I can, and I trust him."

"Hey, back off, lady. You can't tell us what to do." He pulled Renee closer to him.

Almost immediately, the three men were coming up behind Lily.

"What's going on?" Mark asked.

"Renee, please don't do this." The Sleeping Giant wasn't the tallest by far, nor the most difficult climb. But it ranked high due to the technical difficulty. It was not meant for anyone except experienced climbers.

"You can't tell me what to do," Renee said as she moved closer to Phillip.

"Phillip, she's sick, did she tell you she was throwing up last night?"

Roy focused on the girl, seeing how pale she was, even a little shaky this morning. "Renee, are you feeling bad?" Even he knew that being on the side of a mountain when you're under the weather was a very dangerous thing to do.

"I'm fine."

Lily was shaking her head. "Phillip, please don't do this, it's too dangerous up there for her. If you've done this mountain before, then you know how difficult and strenuous it is for the best of climbers."

The man was getting mad now. "You need to shut up and mind your own business," he threatened her with a low growl.

It would have been a tie to say who was between Lily and Phillip the fastest.

"I think you need to back off," Mark threatened him.

Phillip grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her backward. "Just stay away from us."

"Renee, please," Lily begged her.

Johnny took her arm. "Lil, come on, let's get back to our camp."

The woman was frantic now. "No." She pulled away from him and ran up to Renee, grabbing her arm. "Please don't go up there, Renee."

Phillip grabbed Lily by the upper arm and pushed her back, making her land on her bottom. Johnny was instantly by her side, helping her up. Mark was between her and Phillip.

"Put your hands on her again, and you'll live to regret it."

Mark's physical dominance over the smaller, wiry young man was enough to intimate anyone.

"Johnny, take her to camp," Roy said quietly. "Mark, let's go. We're done here."

They backed up, and Lily was still struggling to get out of Johnny's arms.

"You don't understand!" She was yelling at him.

"Lily, you need to calm down." Johnny wasn't sure they could do the climb now; she was so upset. "I know she doesn't feel well, but she'll be with him."

"No." She looked back to see both were gone now. "She's a beginner climber. He said this was her first climb."

Johnny's mouth dropped open, and he quickly looked back to the woods. "What?"

Lily shook her head. "She's not a skilled climber, and she's sick. Johnny something bad's going to happen."

He looked up to Mark and Roy. "Let's gear up and see if we can catch up with them."

They all knew there was only so much they could do. They weren't park rangers, and they had no real authority in the middle of the woods. With camp packed up, they put on their climbing belts, arranged their clips, and prepared their ropes. Johnny kept Lily focused on making sure everyone was safely equipped and ready to go. Reaching down, he checked her own belt and clips.

Reaching for her hands, he held them still. "I need to know you're okay to go up."

She released a deep breath and nodded. "I'm okay."

"Cause, we need you to be focused."

Leaning in, she kissed him. "I'm ready." Pulling up a smile, she nodded. "Let's do this."

They weren't far from the launching point, and she looked around for the couple's backpacks, finding the starting point empty.

"Maybe they changed their minds," Mark told her.

Everyone looked up and saw not a living soul on the rock face.

She nodded with a big relief off her shoulders. "Good."

Here, they left their more cumbersome packs, tents, and camping equipment where they would return by nightfall. The only thing they carried were their belts, safety equipment, and a canteen of water.

"Let's focus on what we need to do," Lily reminded them, trying to keep herself focused. "Mark will take point he's studied the route, and I've gone over main points with him. Johnny, Roy, then me. Keep your rope slings less than three meters, and double-check all your belays."

Johnny smiled at her. She was in professional mode now, and he knew they were in good hands.

Mark started up first, placing the anchors as he moved and soon, they were all off the ground with solid rock under their hands and feet. Moves were calculated, and each climber was fully aware of where the others were at all times. Roy stayed focus on where he was, not where he would end up, and up above him, Johnny was keeping pace with Mark. Below him, Lily was very patient with him. He and his partner were trained climbers, but their job didn't call for anything to this scale, and the endurance and strength required were much more than the quick jobs that work often called them for.

But, no one was pushing to complete a race. The climb was about making progress, taking rest breaks, and keeping a close eye on each other.

"Doing okay, up there?"

Roy nodded and looked down. His muscles were aching, and his lungs were burning with the high altitude, but he felt good. Lily grinned at him, seeing how much he was enjoying the climb.

"Dreamer's Point ahead," Mark called down.

Dreamer's Point was a natural ledge that was a frequented spot by climbers, a place to rest and prepare for the hardest part of the climb. It marked them as two hours into their climb. As each party member reached the point, they took their place on the ledge and took in the view.

"Ten minutes, gentlemen," Lily told them as they let their muscles relax and lungs recoup. It was important to stay on the planned timeline, or they wouldn't complete the descent before nightfall.

"What do you think, pally?" Johnny asked with wide eyes.

Roy just nodded as they sat there in the warm sun. He had to admit, this felt different. There wasn't a time he could remember that he wasn't afraid of heights and becoming a firefighter, and a rescue man had forced him to overcome the paralyzing fear that used to overwhelm him. Now, he could climb when needed, hangover a bottomless ledge, swing from a rope at a hundred feet in the air and get the job done. Did he like it? Well, he wouldn't go that far. But this, he was enjoying this journey.

Johnny gave him a gentle elbow jab. "Told you."

And, that's why he wouldn't admit it. He rolled his eyes, then looked up. "What's next?"

Lily shifted in her seat. "We have to get past the overhang duo." She'd done this mountain several times, but this part always made her heartbeat just a little faster.

Mark was watching her. "You're in charge here, just tell us what we need to know."

Lily proceeded to remind them of every move they would encounter as they worked their way up and over the upcoming obstacles. "Ready?"

Each man stood up with her, nodding. Playful joking was over, and they were again focused on the task ahead. This time Lily took the lead, then Johnny, Roy, and Mark picking up the rear.

As she moved, she tuned out all the noises around her, her mind only focused on the placement of her anchors, her hands, and her feet. There was a serenity here, where the air was thinner, the only sound was your own breath filling your ears, and the breeze on your face made you forget about how much your fingers and toes hurt.

Down below, Johnny watched every move she made. This was the first time he'd really seen what she could do. Of course, he'd seen her free climb on the side of that ridge when she risked her life to save Chris's. He chuckled to himself. Then, he'd been so terrified he'd not appreciated what she could do, to really see how natural this was to her. Now, he could. Her movements were fluid, without hesitation, or pause, each one subconsciously calculated without her even realizing what she was doing. He was in awe.

"One day, I was teaching her on a new climb, a very difficult and technical climb. She went up first, so I had to wait, and watched her," Mark shook his head, "After that? I shut my mouth and let her start teaching me."

"How long has she been climbing?" Roy asked.

"Since she could walk. I couldn't even count how many times mom almost had a heart attack when she would find her on the top of the cabinets, or on the roof."

Johnny laughed. "The roof?"

He nodded. "Yep, when she was four, dad called the police because she was missing. She was on the roof, watching everything happen."

Roy laughed. "Imagine her kids."

Johnny's instant look of panic changed the laugh to a smirk and a shrug. Mark was in full agreement.

"You're up," Mark told him, pointing up at the tugging on the rope. "Go get her," he said with a laugh.

Johnny looked up and let out a calming breath. A little chalk in his hands, and he started the climb. Each placement of fingers or toes was thought about, calculated, his heart pounded in his ears, and the sweat burned his eyes. When he reached the top of the second overhang, Lily was all smiles, lending a hand to the final umph. He crouched beside her.

"Nice job," she told him.

"Not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Two more to go. How's Roy doing?"

Johnny nodded. "He's doing really great. He'll never admit it, but I'm pretty sure he's having fun."

She rubbed his shoulder. "Oh, he is."

Roy took his time, knowing that climbing was a skill for him, not a gifted talent. He could do it, of that he was confident, but rushing wasn't going to help him at all. When he saw the two waiting on him, including Johnny's hand to help him up, he couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks."

"Welcome to stage three," Lily told him.

Roy raised his brow and looked up. They were almost halfway up.

Adding his strength to the belay, they waited for Mark to crest the peak. It didn't take long, as the man was in excellent shape despite his little sister's teasing.

Lily laughed at him as he sat down. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"Me?" He chuckled.

"Don't worry, brother, you still got it," she told him with a wink.

Lily pointed up. "Getting through the crevasse isn't too difficult, but remember to pace yourself. There's nowhere to stop and the final phase, the sheer wall, is going to take all the strength we have. Don't rely on the previously placed anchors, they're all over the place through the crevasse. Double-check anything before using it."

The men nodded. After double-checking all their gear, they decided they were ready for the next section. Putting Mark in the lead again gave them the strength on top that the others may need at the end of the climb.

The crevasse sat about fifty feet up, deep and narrow, stretching at least two hundred feet itself. Roy felt his muscles burning as his feet planted in different positions, using muscles that he hadn't called on until now. The trick was to not look down. Just don't look down. Above him was Lily, who was moving like a spider across her own web, graceful, and without hesitation. By the time he reached the other end of the vertical opening, Johnny and Mark were already working their way up the last part of the climb. The sheer rock face of the Sleeping Giant.

He could hear his own breaths, as he worked to control his breathing, to keep his heartbeat to an acceptable level. Roy could tell his body was working beyond what had done in a long time, since training days when exerting oneself beyond capacity was a daily occurrence. He kept the small smile to himself. Days had become routine, work was routine, being a husband and father routine. This? Well, this was making him feel alive again.

Breathing. Heartbeat. Rocks shifting under his feet and hands. The movements of those climbing with him. He was feeling in the zone. Then he heard a sound that caught his attention. It was out of place, and it alerted the rescue man in him. Then he heard the scream again, voices that carried in the wind, it went straight to his spine. He first looked up to Lily, seeing she had heard it too. She was looking to their left now, and he followed her gaze.

They were there, Phillip and Renee, a little over one hundred feet horizontal from them.

"What are they doing that far over?" Roy called up to ask her, also trying to figure out what the couple was doing.

She was already shaking her head. "They're on a dangerous segment." Then she watched their movements. "JOHNNY!" Lily called out, getting his attention, then pointed to the couple. "They're in trouble!"

Phillip was clinging to the rope, with Renee at the end of it, trying to pull her up to the small ledge he was standing on. Roy could now see that Renee wasn't even moving, just bouncing along the rock wall as Phillip tried to bring her up. Mark was already on the move, shifting his direction from ascending to horizontal to reach them. But he was already above them and descending was a slower process that required a great deal more caution and patience.

Roy watched Lily making the same moves and realized they all had the same plan. The problem was how long it was going to take to reach them. By position, Lily was the closest and started calling out to him. She could see his position now, his feet on a narrow edge of rock, vulnerable especially with him having so much weight forward.

"PHILLIP, CHECK YOUR ANCHOR!" She yelled out to him.

He looked over to her, his eyes full of panic, then he refocused himself to the young woman dangling below.

Lily looked back to Johnny, who was working his way down now, moving closer to her. The quick calculation in her head knew he wouldn't reach them first; she would. She never stopped talking to Phillip, letting him know she was coming, that she was close.

"Just hold her, Phillip! We're coming!"

She could see him nod, an almost frantic movement. When she finally reached him, he was pulling her into his arms.

"Renee! Renee!" He kept calling her name, holding her with one arm.

Lily knew the girl didn't have her footing yet, she seemed frightened and disoriented. She knew she had to focus on making sure both of them were secured and safe. Then they could figure out what happened to Renee.

"Phillip! Get her secured!" Lily couldn't see where all his clips were, his safety lines were in disarray, and he was still relying on a single anchor.

But the man was too busy trying to hold onto his girlfriend, talking to her to try and calm her down, not heeding any of Lily's words. She couldn't understand why Renee didn't have her climbing belt on any longer with a soaring fear that the only thing on the girl was a single rope around her waist. Based on that observation, she knew she had to secure the girl first. Not having time to fight with Phillip's chaos of ropes, she unclipped herself from Johnny and put the rope around Renee, then belayed her to a new wall anchor.

"LILY!" Johnny panicked when his connect to her, was swinging free in the wind.

She wasn't worried, Roy had her and the girl was safe for the moment. Now, she had to focus on him.

Phillip shifted, to move Renee closer to the rock wall, to a safer place, but she went into a full panic and started screaming. Lily was trying to calm her, but she wasn't hearing any of them. Johnny was almost at them now within reach.

"Lily, get away!"

It was Mark now yelling at her, seeing the pending disaster, how Phillip and Renee were in a state of panic. The couple was putting everyone in danger. He was still above Lily, closing in on her fast, however, his racing heart told him it wasn't fast enough Roy stayed in one place, quieted his attention, and focused on his position, and the others around him. Out of instinct, he checked all his ropes, and placed another anchor, adjusting his belay and clips.

When Renee shifted, Phillip stepped back. Lily watched his rope catch him, and he gave a small smile, his eyes wide with adrenaline.

Then the anchor slipped.

"Noooooo!" Lily yelled as she reached out to grab his rope, with Johnny's fingertips brushing against her arm.

* * *

A/N: When I write, I want to visualize everything. So, I googled "mountain climbing attire in the 70's". I found everything from short, jeans, to butt naked hippies. LOL. I chose to visualize pants, yea, pants…


	3. Chapter 3

**PONIES, PROMISES, AND PARAMEDICS**

_These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home._

Everything happens for a reason, the pain, the sorrow, the joy, the loss, even if we can't see the reason yet. Time tells the story. EMOM

_A/N: Sorry this took a bit. Lots of real-life going on around here. Thank you so much for the notes and messages. I'm glad you're enjoying the journey. Let me know what you think. Thanks!_

* * *

Chapter 3

They were flying down the road, at least that's how it felt, as he took the hairpin turns with the hot California wind on his face. Working their way to the top of the ridge, the steady climb was exhilarating. They weren't the only ones on the mountain, but the passing vehicles were so few and far between, it felt like they were alone. At the top, there was a small park with picnic tables and walking trails. It was there he finally pulled to a stop in one of the parking slots and turned the bike off. Letting go of his waist, Tessie climbed off first and waited for him.

"It's so beautiful up here!"

With a big smile, he took her hand. "We're almost there."

Heading towards the path at the end of the parking lot, they found a trail that was narrow and dusty as he let her lead the way. Every now and then she would glance back at him with that wild red hair and a sparkling smile that just made him light up inside. When they reached the end of the trail, they were poised high above highway 101 with the ocean crashing on the rocks just on the other side. The view was perfect as they looked over the edge.

"Sometimes I forget out gorgeous it is," she told him. "Let's go out there."

He raised his brow with a smile. "Have a boat?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "I wish. But I have a cara that has one, we could go out with him one afternoon."

"Sure."

She grinned and raised her shoulders with excitement before she sat down, letting her legs dangle over. Mike joined her, putting his arm around her.

Leaning against him, she took his hand in hers. "This makes me cuil."

"Cuil?"

She let out a small sigh. "Miss home?"

"Do you get to go back very often?"

"Not like I want to. It's been about six years since I was there last. I'm going to take you with me one day. Ireland is draiochta, um, magical."

"I'd love to see it."

"I'm the best guide you can find," she laughed.

"I wouldn't want anyone else."

For a few moments, they just sat and listened to the ocean crash against the rocks below.

"So… Saturday."

He chuckled. "Yes."

"You're going to show up, right?" Sitting back up, she turned to him with a look of firm expectation.

"I'll be there," he said, once again trying to reassure her.

"You better, you promised."

He cocked his head and raised a brow. "I promise to be there."

"Don't be nervous. Me mama and Athair are going to love you."

Mike smiled but being nervous about meeting her family wasn't going to go away that easily. "I'm not worried. Parents love me."

Scooting back just a bit, she gave him a stern look. "Parents? How many parents have you met exactly?"

He couldn't help but laugh.

Tessie slapped him on the chest. "It's not funny, Michael! This is a big deal in an Irish family."

Quickly, he stopped laughing and took her hand back. "Just a couple of times and I know it's important to you."

"That it is. I don't just bring any fella home to me parents, you know."

Reaching up, he tucked a wild red curl behind her ear. "I know, and I promise to be there."

Her smile widened. "We better get going, or we're going to miss the race." Standing up, she stepped backward with the ground crumbling underneath her feet, and her eyes went wide.

Mike reached out and grabbed her arm, jerking her forward.

Glancing back, she looked down to the highway far below. "Dia!"

He was shaking his head. "Careful, you!"

"That was too close."

"Can't have anything happen to you," he told her, kissing her forehead.

"Protected by a fireman, I'm in good hands."

* * *

She was freefalling. There was only one other time she had experienced such a feeling, and that was when she fell with Johnny beside the waterfall. It seemed like it was in slow motion, and she kept her eyes on the man attached to the rope in her hand. There were noises above her, yelling. Johnny and Mark's voices echoed through the air, though she couldn't understand every word, she knew her stupidity had started all of this.

Renee was screaming at the top of her lungs as Johnny and Mark watched Phillip fall, then Lily grabbing trying to catch him. Johnny was so close to her, his fingertips brushed against her skin, then she was gone.

"LILLLYY!"

Quickly, Johnny grabbed Renee because she was hysterical and in great danger of being the next to fall. With one arm around her, he held her secure, while trying to keep an eye on the others. Mark was now beside him, and they watched in horror as the other two fell.

Roy stayed in place, watching them fall, ready. She was belayed to him, and he was prepared for the hard jerk that would threaten to rip him off the mountain with them both. The rope tore through his hands as he looped it around his waist. He had no intentions of losing either one of them.

Of course, the feeling of free-falling meant the possibility of her death, but without really thinking about it, she had her trust in Roy and knew they'd be okay. She just had to not let go.

When the rope grew taut, Roy felt the hard physical strain that it took to keep his hands on her and Phillip, all the while trusting in the double anchor he was hooked too. The jerk on him was hard, making him grunt loudly as his belt rammed into his stomach. Instantly, he looked below, knowing the weight was a good sign. He still had them both.

The hard stop was painful for Lily too, smacking her into the rock wall, knocking the breath from her lungs, and feeling the rope around her wrist pull painfully hard. For a few seconds, she felt overwhelmed by the feeling of disorientation and pain. Still, she didn't let go of Phillip. When she was able to open her eyes again, she looked down at him, frantically trying to hold on to the single lifeline between her and him. Letting go of her own rope, she transferred his rope to her other hand knowing there was no way she would be able to loop it through her clips one-handed while his full weight was bearing down on it.

"Phillip! I need you to calm down. I've got you," she called down to the desperate man whose movements were frenzied. She kept her pained arm against her chest as she continued to talk to him.

As soon as Johnny saw Lily's fall stop with Roy holding onto them, he put his attention on Renee. She was now frozen in place, but her rope was secure, allowing him to double-check her anchor and assess her physical condition. She was pale, shaking, and her heart was racing, but otherwise, she seemed uninjured.

"Johnny!?"

He looked behind him to Mark and nodded. "She's okay, but she's not going to be able to climb."

Lily didn't even look up. "ROY!"

"I've got you!" He called out to her.

He was still facing the rock wall, a death grip on her and his own safety line. Lily's hand was now sweating, and there was no way she could let go and chalk them. He was slipping from her. "Phillip, please stop moving, stop fighting me. I've got you."

But the man was hysterical now as he twisted and flailed in the air.

"Phillip! Reach for the wall, reach for it, get a handhold!"

He tried, but his fingers couldn't find the edge that they needed, and he was too frantic to calm and focus. She kept trying, keeping her own voice calm and in control.

"Phillip, look at me. Look at me!"

He looked up, tears in his eyes now.

"You have to quit fighting, grab the wall. I've got you and Roy up there, he has us both. We're going to be okay, but I need you to listen to me."

The rope was slowly slipping through her hand. It was looped through her clips, but she was still afraid of losing him, especially if he didn't calm down.

"OH, GOD!" He cried out.

Lily saw his hands moving across his own belt and clips. He wasn't even trying for the wall anymore. Tears were forming in her eyes as her grip on his rope continued to slip through her fingers. "PHILLIP, GRAB ON!"

He was focused on his own belt now, not listening to anything she said, flailing as he swung a thousand feet in the air. Then she realized why.

"PHILLIP, PLEASE! THE WALL!" Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Don't let me die, please," he pleaded with her.

Then his eyes got wide as the rope slipped from his waist.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Lily screamed.

"LILY!" Roy called down to her. "LILY!"

She hung there at the end of the rope, his unattached rope in her hand. Roy could see her, frozen and not responding to him. Now he had to decide, climb down to her, or pull her up to him.

"ROY?!"

"I've got her," he called back to the frantic voice of Mark. "I've got her."

Johnny and Mark were both too far away to help him pull her up, but without her ability to hold her position, he'd didn't have any other choice. Taking the slack in the rope, he looped it through his clips until it was secure enough to use as a pully. Then inch by inch, he pulled her up.

"Lily, can you hear me?" He called out to her.

He could see she was holding onto her rope, still conscious and breathing. Beyond that, her condition would be unknown until he could get her up to him. Slowly, he raised her up, until she was close enough to let him step over her, trapping her between him and the wall. With her back against the wall, facing him, he could begin to assess her. His hands went to her head and neck, pulling her chin up to look at him.

"Lily, can you hear me?" His own heart was racing now, his fear for her condition serious.

She looked up to him, her eyes filled with tears, her head nodding. "I can't…"

"You're hyperventilating. You need to slow your breathing down for me." Roy pressed his hand against her stomach. "In through your nose, then out through your mouth, pushing my hand away. That's it, push against my hand."

It took a few practice breaths, then she figured out the rhythm and her breathing started to calm. For a minute, he just kept her secure against the wall and let her calm down a bit, feeling her trembling all over. She had every reason to be in shock.

"Can you tell me where you're hurt?" He could see the cut on her head, but he knew she hit the wall hard.

All she could give was a tiny shake of her head. Taking the bandana off his belt, he poured a little water on it, then dabbed her cut. She grimaced and put her hand up to touch it, just now realizing something was wrong.

"Easy, you're hurt." He then refolded it and wrapped it around her head like a bandage. Quickly, he checked down her neck and reached around to her back. "Any pain?"

Another small head shake.

Then he found her arm. Palpated it gently, he nodded. "I don't think it's broken and I don't have anything to splint it with up here." She was wearing a button-down shirt. "Lily, I'm going to unbutton your blouse and tuck your arm in your shirt, okay? It will act as a sling until we can get off this mountain."

"He fell," she whispered to him with empty eyes full of tears.

"I know, but you're going to be okay."

"He fell."

Roy looked at her and was worried that every ounce of confidence she had, had fallen down that mountain with Phillip. He was pretty sure his heart was racing with hers now, flooded with empathy for her.

"You did all you could."

Resting her head on his shoulder, he held her as she cried.

"Roy?!"

One hand went up, to give them a minute, knowing that Johnny was probably having a heart attack about now. Leaning back, Lily wiped her tears away with a shaking hand. He looked up to the top of the mountain, which seemed so close only ten minutes ago, now it felt ten miles away.

"Lily, Renee's in shock, and you're hurt. We still have to get the rest of us off this mountain alive."

She looked down and shook her head slightly. "Not down."

Roy looked over to Johnny and Mark and pointed up. The men nodded. For now, questions and grieving would have to wait. There were still five lives to save.

"Renee, can you hear me?" Johnny asked the glassy-eyed girl.

She wasn't focusing on anything anymore and was basically unresponsive.

"We're going to have to carry her up," Mark told him. "I'll take her with me."

Johnny wasn't going to argue. Mark had the physical strength to carry her up, and he knew his mind was already distracted by the woman below. "Okay, I'll be right behind you. Take it slow."

He knew Mark could handle physically carrying her up, but he wasn't a rescue man. Johnny would keep a close eye on him. Looking up, he knew the rest of the climb could now take an hour with one victim unable to do her own climbing. The two men carefully transferred her secure lines over to Mark, basically tying her to the man. Looking down, Roy was also busy shifting lines and between him and Lily. When he saw Lily directly attached to Roy, her relying on him to bring her up, his heart skipped a beat.

She was hurt.

"Roy, I'm shifting back over and dropping you a belay line."

Roy nodded. It was a good plan. With Mark focused on Renee, Johnny would become his safety line. Once the dropped rope was in his hands, he looped it through and gave Johnny a nod.

"Lily?" Johnny called down, his heart pounding in his chest. She hadn't even looked up to him.

"I've got her, just get us to the top," Roy told him with a nod.

Everyone stayed quiet as they focused on getting to some semblance of safety. The death of Phillip weighed heavily on them all and made it difficult to stay focused. Johnny was trying to keep an eye on Mark and an eye below on Lily. Everyone was on edge, and the warm sun was bearing down on them now. Hand over hand, and foot over foot, they inched their way upwards. Renee was basically tied to Mark, and his movements were slow, labored, and tedious. Johnny could see he was breathing hard and often pausing to check on her. But she never made eye contact or answered him. Johnny knew she was in shock. Hell, they all were.

When Mark reached the top ledge, he stopped.

"Mark?" Johnny called out to him.

His breath was heavy. "Johnny, can you get past me?"

The man was exhausted, and Johnny moved past him, pulling himself across the top, then reached down to pull Renee and Mark back to solid ground. Mark collapsed as Johnny worked on loosening the ropes around Renee and moving her to the side. Her eyes were closed now, so he checked her pulse and breathing.

"Johnny?"

He nodded. "She's just passed out."

Leaning back over the edge, he watched Roy and Lily slowly move towards them. Roy was pacing himself while carrying her, and Johnny could see that she wasn't doing anything to help him. It was also obvious that his best friend was avoiding eye contact with Johnny. And that wasn't very reassuring to the worried man.

Mark focused on Renee, doing a quick trauma exam to make sure they hadn't missed any severe injuries. She was running a fever, but he was thankful she wasn't injured. "How are they doing?"

Johnny nodded. "Slow but steady progress." He didn't elaborate, knowing that Mark had been focused on Renee and not seen most of what transpired after Roy started up with Lily.

Once he knew he was close, Roy looked up to see Johnny hanging over the edge, waiting on them. Mark was also standing at the edge beside him. Neither man looked calm or much composed and he couldn't blame them. Lily had quietly rested against him the whole way up, wetting his shirt wet with her tears. They pulled Lily up first with Mark scooping her up in his arms and moving away from the edge. Johnny got Roy over, and they both quickly joined the others. She was sitting up as Mark looked at her bumped head, then her arm.

"Mark?" Johnny knelt beside her.

He nodded with his own relief. "I think she's okay."

Moving his arm around her waist, he brushed back her hair. "Lily?"

She leaned into his arms and started crying again. "I had him, I had him, then he was gone."

"I know, baby, I know. It wasn't your fault."

"Do you feel dizzy? Headache?" Marked asked her.

"Not dizzy, but a headache."

He examined her eyes, reflexes, and seemed frustratedly content when he stood up. "We'll keep a close eye on her."

"We have to get back down there," Lily said softly. She looked up to Johnny. "We can't just leave him."

Gently, he brushed her hair back. "We will baby, we will." He looked up to Mark and Roy. "She's right though, we need to get back down."

Mark looked down at Renee. "With her in shock, and Lily's wrist, there's no way we can go back the way we came up."

"There's a trail around," Lily told them, composing herself. "Dad would take it when he wasn't able to climb anymore."

"How far?" Mark asked her.

"It's too dangerous to do in the dark." She looked over the mountainside. "The sun's going to be down soon. We should stay here until morning, then head down."

The men agreed, then they also had no other options.

Roy saw her shiver, from the stress and strain of the day. "We'll need a fire tonight."

"Colder up here on the rocks," she told them. "We need to move to the tree line. There's a clearing there for camping."

Johnny helped her up, with Mark picking Renee up in his arms and they worked their way off the rocky mountain top to the clearing she had described. Here there was plenty of firewood available too.

"I'll work on the fire," Roy told them.

"Damn, and every supply we have is below," Mark cursed with frustration, realizing they didn't have anything except the clothes on their back, not even their coats.

Roy pulled out his lighter. "We'll have a fire if nothing else."

Johnny looked at Roy. "You okay?" He'd been focused on Lily and the couple, but he hadn't forgotten the hard catch that his brother had made in trying to save them.

Rubbing his hands together, he turned his palms up, red and abrased. "I'll be sore, but I'm okay."

Lily stood up with Johnny instantly at her side. "What's wrong?"

"I want to sit with her."

He nodded, and they moved over to be beside Renee.

Lily took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Renee, we're here with you. You're going to be okay."

She continued to stare ahead, catatonic with no response to anything around her. Lily looked back to Johnny with worry.

"She's in shock," Johnny told her softly. "She's not injured."

Lily nodded and slipped an arm around the younger girl's waist. "We've got you," she whispered to her, pulling her closer.

Renee let her head rest on Lily's shoulder as the sun set and darkness enveloped them in the moonless night.

"Lily, how long is the hike down?" Mark asked, crouching down to her.

She paused, thinking. Mark frowned at her. "Lily?"

"I heard you," she answered with annoyance. "A full day, maybe 8 or 9 hours." Her hand went to her head.

"Headache still?" Johnny asked.

"Yea, but I'm okay. I can handle a headache."

He nodded. "I know you can. Just keeping an eye on you, you hit that wall pretty hard."

"I hit the wall?"

Johnny looked over to Mark.

"What do you remember?" Mark asked her.

"The rope slipped."

"Yes, but do you remember falling?"

She shook her head and frowned. "I…"

"It's okay, baby, just rest for me." Johnny kissed her head as he stood up and joined the other two men.

"She can't remember?" Johnny asked, concerned.

"She probably has a mild concussion," Mark replied. "She'll be okay, Johnny." He looked back. "I'm more worried about getting them back to the cars. We have at least a three-day hike from here."

"Let's try and get some rest. We'll head out early," Johnny told them. "I'll sit up with the girls first."

"Wake me up in a couple of hours," Roy told him.

Johnny added more wood to the fire as Lily and Renee laid down beside him. After three hours of pacing, repeatedly watching them breathe, he finally woke up Roy for the next watch.

When Mark was waking up Johnny, the sun was starting to peak over the mountaintop, spraying the horizon with layers of orange, yellow, and pinks. It was a sunrise that could be admired on any other day, except this one. No one had slept well, though Lily and Renee had stayed quiet through the night, only shivering in the cold despite the fire.

"Lily, wake up for me," Johnny coaxed her.

When she started to stir, she frowned with discomfort.

"Can you sit up for me?"

"I'm okay, just give me a minute to wake up," she pushed him away, turning to Renee. "Renee, we have to wake up, it's time to go now."

Renee woke up easily but clung to Lily, still not talking. Roy put the fire out as they gathered to discuss getting down the mountain.

"The trailhead is over there," she pointed back to the rocky top. "We have to get over some rocky part, then we'll see the trail. It's a steep grade and wraps around the mountain towards the base, but puts us out close to the campsite where we can pick up our packs."

Johnny was feeling better about how she was doing. She was alert, back in charge, and leading them to safety. "I'll take Renee." He stepped towards her, surprised when she cowered behind Lily, both fists full of her clothing.

Lily didn't even hesitate as she stepped between him and her. "I've got her."

Johnny just nodded. "Okay. Just let me know if you need help."

Lily pulled Renee from behind her and took her hand. "Stay with me, do as I say." Without waiting she headed back to the mountain top edge and to the top of the trail.

Johnny took position behind her, then Mark, then Roy. Hiking down wasn't difficult, just slow and tedious as Renee could only move so fast and even Lily seemed to be more cautious than usual. They found themselves stopping every hour, to allow the girls to rest and get some water.

"Stop," Lily grumbled as Mark reached down to check her pulse.

"Nope."

She was fully annoyed at him.

"If you don't back off, we'll never get down this mountain," she snapped at him.

Her tone surprised not only Mark but Johnny as well.

"Lily, it's okay, he's just concerned," Johnny offered.

Looking up at him, she narrowed her brow. "If I need anyone to be concerned, then I'll ask for it. Until then, I need everyone to leave me alone."

Standing back up, she gathered up Renee and continued on the trail.

"Mark? Is she okay?"

The brother shook his head. "Overwhelming stress, lack of sleep, no food? None of it's helping. Let's just get this trip over with."

For the rest of the trip, they stayed quiet, even when Renee would trip and stumble. Lily would catch her, talk to her softly, and keep her moving. By noon, Renee needed some rest time, and Lily found a break in the trail where they could sit on a log. Her arm around the girl's waist, Renee just leaned against her and closed her eyes.

Mark quietly stepped past Lily and reached out to check Renee's pulse and breathing.

"Is she okay?" Lily asked him.

He nodded, then backed away, not wanting to antagonize his other patient any more than necessary.

"Does she have three or more hours in her?" Roy asked Mark, referring to Renee.

He just shrugged. "She's doing better than I thought she would."

When the trail leveled out and came right beside a waterfall, Lily stopped and helped Renee sit, while she walked over to wet her bandana. Gently, she wiped the girl's face and neck. Renee would now look at her, but there was no emotion behind her eyes.

"She needs to rest a bit," Lily told them, without looking up.

Johnny sat down next to her. "How's she holding up?"

"What do you think?" She snapped at him.

A small frown creased his brow. Lily wasn't acting like herself.

"About how much further to camp?" Roy asked gently, to distract her.

"Two hours from here."

She wouldn't even make eye contact with them. Reaching out, Johnny tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away from him.

"We should get going, this is already taking too long." Standing back up, she pulled Renee to her feet again. "Come on, sweetie, we're almost there."

Mark took his arm as the girls moved ahead of them. "Don't take it personally. This is how she handles a crisis."

Johnny was shaking his head. "I don't understand." Truth be told, his gut was telling him something much different.

Giving him a small smile, Mark tried to reassure him. "She needs time to process what happened. But, until then, she'll shut everything else out. Give her time."

Johnny didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. Give her time? By being pushed away by someone that he cared about so much? He wanted to hold her, console her, and comfort her. And now she wouldn't even let him touch her?

Roy was behind the girls now, knowing the other two were talking. He wasn't sure if he was impressed with how Lily was doing, or if they were just being hoodwinked by her. Still, her demeanor was off and like them, he was keeping a close eye on them both in front of him.

There were no more pauses before they reached where the trail split. Lily headed to the right and thankfully here, the path was mostly flat and easier to traverse. It was only 4pm when they reached the campsite, and while Johnny stopped with the girls and worked on making a fire, Mark and Roy continued forward to gather their backpacks and camping supplies.

As soon as they reached the campfire ring with the supplies, Lily was on her feet. "We need to keep going." It wasn't a question.

Mark was already shaking his head. "We camp tonight and head out tomorrow."

She clamped her jaw down. "Renee needs help. We have to keep going."

"Lily, she's completely exhausted, and so are you. We'll make better progress tomorrow. Besides, the sun will be down soon, and we're not going down this mountain in the dark."

"Stop telling me what to do!" Her hands were in fists now.

Johnny hesitated.

Mark stood his ground. "You can pitch all the tantrum you want. We're done for tonight. I'm responsible for Renee's health between here and the hospital, and she needs rest."

Lily huffed and turned her back on them all, focusing on Renee again. While Johnny added wood to the fire, Roy and Mark set the tents up. They also pulled out the nonperishable meals they had saved for the trip back home. All they needed was some boiling water.

Dinner was not exactly appetizing, but it was filling to the hungry crew, at least for the guys. Lily ate little, and Renee ate nothing. Lily had been able to get her to take a couple of sips of water, but nothing more.

"Not hungry?" Johnny asked, picking up her barely touched plate.

She just shook her head. "She needs to get some sleep." With that, they disappeared into the tent.

"Night," Johnny said wistfully.

"She knows you're here for her, pally," Roy told his sad-looking friend.

"She's hurting, and she won't let me help."

"Tomorrow's another day. Bunk with me tonight, Mark's taking the other tent."

Johnny just nodded, though he couldn't even think about sleep right now.

The night passed by peacefully, and soon everyone was waking up and emerging from their tents, though the girl's tent was still quiet.

Mark saw Johnny staring at it. "It's early, we can give them a little more time before heading out."

Johnny was pacing.

The brother patted his shoulder. "I'm sure they're okay."

Johnny just nodded. "I think they need to get up and get some breakfast in before we go." Just as he went to unzip the tent, the flap opened, and Lily emerged, on her hands and knees.

He tried to be casual. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

Then she threw up on his shoes.

Mark was on his feet and headed towards her. She was already trying to stand up. "Easy does it."

"I'm okay." She was already waving them away. "My stomach's just too empty."

"That may be the case, but this time you'll let me check on you." He didn't give her any choice as he checked her pulse, breathing, and pupils.

"Done?"

"Get something to eat. I'll check on Renee."

Lily immediately starting backing up until she was back in the tent.

"Lily," Mark said, with a hint of impatience.

"I'm not leaving her."

Mark followed her into the small tent and checked on the other woman. Once back out of the tent, he leaned in. "We need to head out soon. Try and get her to eat something, or she's not going to get far today."

Soon, Lily had Renee out as Roy worked on packing up their supplies and tent. Johnny quietly sat beside her, though he was careful to not touch her, and to carefully choose his words.

"I'm here for anything you need."

She let out a small sigh. "I know. I just can't right now."

Nodding, he conceded that giving her time and space was all he could do.

The hike out was quiet, with little admiration for their beautiful surroundings. They had discussed looking for Phillip but decided getting the two injured in their party to help was of higher property. Lily kept Renee walking with the trail being fairly easy to traverse during the first part of the day. Even then, the pace was painfully slow.

"I should have known something was wrong."

Johnny was walking with Mark, trailing behind Roy, then the girls. "You realized it before I did."

Mark shook his head. "Portland."

Johnny had held back on talking about anything that had happened since she had come back, feeling it was between them.

"She was quiet, withdrawn, angry a lot. I should have known."

"She was under a lot of stress with Eli," Johnny answered him, knowing they both had a lot going on at the time.

Mark shook his head. "All those times with Eddy. I knew when it was getting worse, just by how she was acting. I was so worried about dad that I missed it. I wasn't seeing what was going on right under my own roof."

"It was a stressful time." Johnny really didn't know what to say. Clearly, the man was devastated by what had happened.

"I was supposed to be the place she came to be safe, and I let her get hurt again."

"She doesn't blame you, you know."

Mark shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I am to blame."

"What about leaving again? I can see how much she needs you."

He stopped walking. "I have to take care of some stuff up there, but I'm done. My marriage is over, and I can't even bring myself to tell her. You know why? She'll blame herself because that's how she is. Look, I'm telling you, but I don't want her to know yet. Not until things are finalized."

"Your kids?"

"That's still being worked on."

Johnny nodded. "I know none of it's been easy. I'm glad you're here now." He looked ahead at the girls. "Especially now."

"She'll be okay, man."

They let Lily and Renee set the pace and decide when rest breaks were needed. Otherwise, they pressed forward to the next campsite. Around three, the pace has slowed significantly, and Roy was sticking close to the girls, noticing that Lily was providing more and more support to Renee as they walked. When the younger girl stumbled and fell, Lily tried to catch her but wasn't able to.

Everyone was at their side immediately.

"I've got her," Lily snapped at them.

Mark was already shaking his head. The younger girl had passed out. "She's exhausted and dehydrated."

"We can't stop," Lily said, almost frantically. "We can't stop, we need to get back."

Johnny was beside her and looked up to the others. "I agree, we have to keep going."

"We can make a stretcher and carry her out," Roy said, already digging through his backpack.

Soon, they had a way to carry her rigged up with blankets and tent poles and were on their way again. Lily couldn't walk beside her, so she was just behind Mark and Roy, who carried the young girl. Taking up the rear, was Johnny.

It was after dark when they arrived at the next campsite. With a small fire for warmth going, Mark and Johnny entered the tent with a plan.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked.

"Hold her up," Johnny told her as he started to lift Renee up. "She can lean against you."

"Johnny?"

"We have to get some fluids in her, or she's going to go into shock," he told her.

Renee's eyes were open, drowsy, and she was completely unresponsive to their handling. Gently, Mark opened her mouth and started putting spoons full of water into her mouth, then massaged her throat to make her swallow. It was working, so they kept going until they were able to get half a canteen of water in her.

Helping her lay back down, Mark passed another canteen to Lily. "Drink all of this, or you're not going to be able to help her at all. Don't do it for me, do it for her."

Quietly, she took the container and took some sips.

"All of it. We'll be back in an hour to repeat."

That's how the evening proceeded. Roy cooked dinner and kept the fire going, while they worked to keep Renee going. By the time bedtime arrived, Renee had gotten the equivalent to three canteens of water and Lily had eaten some dinner. Tucking them in for the night, Mark and Johnny knew they had done all they could.

The next morning everyone could feel the journey was coming to an end and there was little talk and a lot of hiking. They didn't even ask Renee to walk, putting her straight into the homemade carrier to take her all the way out. The small boost of energy helped them complete the journey quicker, and when they emerged from the woods, into the parking lot, it took all they had to not shout for joy. There was nothing joyous about what had happened, and none of them forgot that. Mark, Johnny, Renee, and Lily loaded into Mark's SUV, while Roy brought in Johnny's car.

By the time they reached the border of town, Karl was there to escort them to the hospital. The radio call they put in before leaving the parking lot had alerted everyone that something bad had happened. It wasn't until they reached the ER that Johnny was able to fill Karl in on the details.

"I can't imagine, man," Karl told him as he wrote down the information. "How is she?"

"She'll be okay, just really shaken up."

"Roy looked pretty rough too," Karl said with concern.

"He's exhausted." Then for the first time, he let the information process in his mind. "He saved her." How could he have not thanked Roy for saving her life, for getting her off that mountain face?

"Rookie's in the truck if you want him, but he's welcome to stay with me till you get some rest."

"Police dog training?"

Karl gave a half-hearted smile. "Teach um young, they say."

"I'll take him home, thanks for taking care of him while we were gone."

Karl clapped the man's shoulder. "Of course, anytime. Look, I'm really sorry all this happened to you guys. Get some rest and take good care of her."

Johnny felt overwhelmingly sad and worn down. "I will."

"Let us know if we can do anything."

He nodded in reply before Karl moved to the nurse's station to get information on Renee.

Johnny stepped into the ER trauma room and watched Mark carefully put in the few stitches into Lily's laceration. Her arm was already bandaged, the x-ray showing no break, just a sprained wrist.

She looked up to him. "Renee?"

Moving to stand beside her, he nodded to her. "She has an IV, and they are hydrating her, and her vitals are pretty stable. They're going to admit her for now."

"And Phillip," she said softly.

"The police are here and have notified search and rescue. They'll find him."

With hesitation, he reached out and took her hand. "I love you."

When Mark finished the last stitch, she leaned into Johnny. "I need to see her."

Mark nodded.

Helping her off the table, she allowed Johnny to slip his arm around her waist and walk her down the hall to Renee's room.

"I want to stay with her."

"I'm sorry, Miss," the doctor started to say. "She's going to be under close observation and can't have visitors."

Johnny knew what that meant. They were taking her to the psych unit. "We'll come back and check on her later."

Lily was already pulling away from him. "No, I can't leave her alone. I can't let her be alone." She was getting upset quickly.

"She won't be alone, baby. Someone will be with her all the time."

She was shaking her head now. "She'll be alone because I let Phillip die!"

There it was.

They were interrupted by the attendants coming to take her to her room upstairs. Lily leaned in and whispered into her ear, then gently stroked her cheek. With tears in her eyes, she walked out of the room into the hallway where Mark was waiting. When she stopped, she didn't even look at them. Taking her by the arm, he led her back to her room so they could finish her own care. She was already shaking her head.

"I'm not staying here."

Johnny was trying to get her to see reason. "You're dehydrated, and you hit your head pretty hard. They just want to watch you overnight."

"No, I won't stay."

Mark was in the corner with the on-call physician, one that Johnny didn't know. When they approached the couple, Mark did the talking.

"They'll let you go home with me."

She nodded, crying softly.

"First you get an IV started, and we'll do fluids at home. You also get a skull x-ray before we go and it has to be normal. Do you understand that?"

Another small nod.

Johnny wanted to protest. He wanted her in the hospital where she was surrounded by doctors and nurses. He wanted her to be safe. Mark already knew what he was thinking and nodded for Johnny to follow him back into the hall.

"Roy?"

"He was exhausted and headed home. Mark, is her leaving the best thing?"

Mark was completely worn out himself. "She's not going to stay, so what do we do? Tie her down?" He let out a heavy sigh and dropped his head before looking back up. "I'll stay up with her and Eli will be there too. I'll make sure she gets fluids and some rest. It's a better option right now."

Johnny conceded that the big brother and trauma physician was right. He had hoped to be able to stay with her in her room. Now, he'd be on the other side of town.

Mark grabbed his shoulder. "Get some sleep, she'll be okay. Come by the house tomorrow."

"I have to work tomorrow, we lost a whole day out there."

"Then you really do need to crash for the night. I'll call you tomorrow."

All he could do was agree. It was out of his hands now. Going back into the room, he stayed with her as they started her IV and until she was back from x-ray. Once she was ready to go, he helped her into Mark's truck. Leaning in, he kissed her forehead.

"Try and rest, baby. I love you."

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Please don't leave me."

His heart almost broke right there. Leaning in, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. After kissing her tenderly on the lips, he pushed her hair from her face. "Marks's going to take good care of you tonight. I'll be at work, but I'll call and check on you when you wake up tomorrow. You're going to be okay, baby. I love you."

She nodded. "Love you, too."

For the first time in two days, he smiled. "I'll talk to you soon."

Mark climbed into the driver's side and slid a box of supplies to sit between them. Johnny nodded to him. Then with a last kiss, he closed the door and watched them drive away.

It was past dinnertime, and he felt like every muscle in his body ached as he climbed out of the truck and walked over to the passenger door. Lily had almost fallen asleep in the short distance from the hospital to the house, and he felt bad at waking her up. Easing her out of the truck, he grabbed the supply box and helped her up the front steps to the door. He had already called Eli to tell him they were okay and heading home. What he didn't expect was to find Millie sitting on the couch with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**PONIES, PROMISES, AND PARAMEDICS**

_These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home._

The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths. ~William James

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading along with me! This chapter is a reminder that sometimes the next day is the hardest of all._

* * *

Chapter 4

He was instantly furious. Eli stood up and was already shaking his head with worry as soon as he saw Lily come through the door. Mark took her arm instinctually moving Lily slightly behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Lily still felt drugged and sleepy, but Marks tone brought her to full alertness in an instant. When she saw the woman on her couch, she froze. For Mark, there was no hesitation in protecting Lily this time, but to his surprise, she pushed past him.

"Get. Out. Of. My. House."

Eli's eyes went wide. He wasn't sure whether he was more worried about his obviously injured daughter that walked through the door, or the one standing before him now. "Lily."

"No," she said in a low tone. "Get out right now."

Millie hadn't even spoken yet, and Mark was still trying to gauge her emotional state. She was dressed nicely, her pocketbook in her hands, her makeup was well done with her hair immaculate. When Lily spoke, the woman's jaw had clamped down, and she stood up.

"I'm here to see my husband." Millie looked at him, refusing to look at Lily. "I have a right to speak with you because you _are_ still my husband, at least until I sign the papers."

Lily's jaw dropped as she shot a look over to Mark.

However, Millie wasn't done. "You walked out on me, and now you don't answer any phone calls? What did you expect me to do?"

Lily couldn't deal with them working out their issues in her house. Not tonight. "If you don't get out of my house right now, I'm calling the police." She looked over to Eli. "Where's Matty?"

"He's alright, he's upstairs playing."

Mark stepped over and took her by the arm, guiding her to the door. "Outside, now."

As soon as the door closed, Lily started shaking, and Eli was at her side.

"Easy, honey, come sit down." He reached up to the bandage on her head. "How bad is it?"

"I'm fine. Why is she here?! I need to see Matty, is he okay?" She stepped around Eli and ran up the stairs, leaving the father even more worried.

Mark didn't stop until he had Millie at the bottom of the stairs and in the driveway. "How did you even get here?"

"I have a rental car at Owen's House."

"Who the hell is Owen?" He barked at her.

"It's a bed and breakfast at the corner. I deserve to know what's going on, Mark."

"You deserve? You deserve?" He laughed. "Get in your car, drive to the airport, and go back home. Where are the kids?"

"They're with my mother. I'm not going to let you do this to our family."

"Do what? You started this, not me. I'm just going to finish it."

Taking a small step back, she cocked her head at him. "I won't allow you to leave me."

Shaking his head in disbelief, he glanced back at the house. "Millie, go home and never come back. You're not welcome here."

Smiling, she raised her brow. "When can I expect you back home, honey."

He furrowed his brow in surprise. "What?"

Leaning in, she caught him off guard by kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and headed down the driveway.

He was too flustered to even reply to her. Turning around, he went back into the house to find Eli pacing the floor. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs. Mark, what happened this weekend? I've never seen her like this." Actually, he hadn't seen her like this in a few years.

"I'll tell you about it later dad, let me go check on her." Halfway up the stairs, he turned back to Eli. "Why was she in the house?"

"She said you told her to come, so you could talk."

Letting out a huff, he went to find Lily. Inside Matthew's bedroom, he found her sitting on the bed, holding him tight, crying softly as she rocked. Mark could see that the toddler was confused and worried about his mother.

"Hey, buddy, come tell me about your weekend with grandpa." Mark gently extracted the toddler from his mother and pulled him into his own arms.

"Lily, why don't you get a nice warm bath. I'll make sure he gets some dinner."

Standing up, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Mommy loves you, baby."

"Love you, mommy."

Mark watched her go into her room and close the door behind her. Only then did he head down the stairs with Matthew in his arms. He had questions, so did Eli, and he wasn't going to be happy with his answers.

* * *

Roy sat down and leaned over to tie his shoes with a groan. Johnny just glanced over at him with a small frown. He was feeling it too, the ache of every muscle in his body from the weekend.

"Any word yet?"

Johnny shook his head. "Called this morning and there was no answer at her house. Guess they were still asleep."

"That's good. She needed the rest."

Returning a nod, he shifted to face his partner. "I didn't say it, but you know I'm grateful for what you did."

Roy gave him a small smile. "I know."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost her."

Standing up, Roy grabbed his shoulder. "And I hope you never have to find out."

"Roll call you two, Cap's in a mood today," Marco called into them from the bay door.

Johnny just raised his brow, grabbed his coat, and followed Roy into the bay. Hank was already pacing the floor with a clipboard in hand.

"What's up, Cap?" Chet asked.

"Got a call this morning from Donavan. The Chief was there doing a surprise inspection, and he'll be heading out our way by dinner."

The crew knew what this meant as they all received their assignments and Hank returned to his office.

"So much for a nice day," Marco grumbled as he headed to the dorm to dust and mop every nook and cranny possible.

"Why does he always come on our rotation?" Johnny asked, frustrated.

"It'll make the day go by faster, let's get started," Roy told him, pushing him towards the back lot.

Standing at the bottom of it, Roy looked up at the hose tower, then back to Johnny. "I'll pass them up."

He shrugged, then started climbing. "Okay."

Marco came out of the kitchen back door with a trash bag and nodded to Roy. "If he plummets to the ground, Cap is going to not going to be happy." Chuckling, he went back into the kitchen.

Roy looked up at Johnny who had gone still. "Let's just get this done."

_STATION 51, TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES. 67 OLIVE WAY, CROSS STREET ALAMEDA. TIME OUT 8:48._

Johnny guided their way, but it wasn't hard to find with three cars involved and a lot of bystanders already gathered on the corners. Smoke was billowing from the two that had hit head-on with Hank directing Marco and Chet to cool those engines first.

Heading in different directions, Johnny and Roy went to assess the victims. Johnny stopped at the closest one which had hit the stop sign, bending it all the way to the ground. Looking into the window, he saw an elderly man sitting quietly. Opening the door, he leaned in.

"Sir, are you injured?"

When the man turned to see him, Johnny could see the small laceration on his forehead.

"I think I'm okay, young man."

"Looks like you cut your head a bit. We'll get that cleaned up." As he finished his exam on the man, putting a bandage on his head, he saw Roy working over to the next car.

"Ma'am, please calm down, I'm with the fire department."

Roy was shaking his head at the grey-headed woman who was refusing to let him open the car door.

"My son is coming to get me!" She snapped at him.

"Problem, Roy?" Hank asked, coming up behind him.

"She won't let me open the door, Cap."

"ROY!"

They both looked up to see Chet waving at them.

"Go see what he needs, we'll get her out of the car."

Roy nodded and jogged across the intersection to where Chet was standing beside a truck. "Chet?"

It was then he could see the crushed bicycle between the two vehicles. A child's sized bike. Roy's eyes darted until he found a foot visible beside the wheel. Chet was already on his stomach looking under the truck.

"I see him," he called out.

Roy laid down beside him and could see the child, who appeared to be around ten, lying on the ground. Roy pulled his glove off and reached for the small wrist and found a pulse.

"He's alive. I need Johnny, and we've got to get these cars separated."

Chet nodded and went running for his Captain.

Roy slid under the car further and got as close to the unconscious boy as he could.

"Roy?"

He could see Johnny crouched down beside him. "He's unconscious. Pulse is 70, respirations 10. His leg is caught between the bumpers. I can't get him out."

"What do you need?"

"We'll need a backboard, neck brace. I need a pressure dressing for his head lac."

Johnny's feet disappeared, and next Hank appeared. "Roy, the wrecker is here, we'll move the other car over."

"Okay, Cap. We need to get him out of here."

As soon as the other car was moved a few inches, the boy's leg dropped, and Roy caught it before it hit the ground. Once the cervical collar was in place, he began to inch himself and the boy out from under the truck. As soon as they could get close enough, he was on a backboard and moved to a safer location away from all the cars. IV's were started, fluid bolus's given, and they watched his vital signs stabilize.

"Anyone know where he came from?"

Hank shook his head at Johnny's question. "Vince is trying to find the family now."

"I'll ride in with him," Roy said as they loaded him into the ambulance.

"I'll finish up the others and meet you there."

* * *

"How is he?" Johnny asked, finding Roy and Dixie at the nurse's station.

"He's awake," Roy told him.

"And his parents are on the way now," Dixie added.

Johnny smiled. "Good, that's great news."

"He'll be fine. A broken leg, and pretty banged up, but he'll be okay."

SQUAD 51, ARE YOU AVAILABLE?

Roy picked up the HT. "51, Available."

SQUAD 51, RESPOND WITH ENGINE 51, MAN ON LEDGE. BECKUM STEEL. 114 BECKUM AVENUE, CROSSROAD HWY 326. TIME OUT 0956.

This type of call put both men on high alert. When someone was desperate enough to take their own lives, they often were unable to take into account those in danger around them. For Johnny, it was always even more stressful because Roy was usually the one risking his life, to save theirs.

Pulling up behind the engine, the medics climbed out and met a security guard at the door. "I'll take you up."

They only carried basic boxes as they entered the elevator and headed to the twelfth floor. The doors along the hallway held offices, and the workers were standing in them, watching the men move through the corridor. A few of the women were crying, with many faces of worry and concern following the men. The air of grief and worry was heavy, and this time, this rescue was hitting the medics harder than usual. The back elevator took them to one floor below the roof, where a set of final stairs awaited them. On the roof, they found Hank and the crew standing far from the edge, along with a couple of police officers.

The man on the ledge appeared to be about forty, well dressed in a nice suit, with a look of despondency that couldn't be denied. Johnny had already grabbed the safety belt, ready to put it on Roy, when his partner stepped back from him.

"You take this one," Roy said quietly, trying to not make a big deal of it.

Johnny frowned. "You sure?"

Roy nodded and started picking up the rope to secure him.

"He's very agitated," Hank said softly, approaching them. "Be careful." He watched Johnny put the belt on as Roy secured the safety line. Now wasn't the time to address it.

Johnny approached the man who was rocking back and forth on his heels. Moving a generous distance away to the side of him, where he could be seen easily in the man's peripheral vision, he couldn't help but glance over the edge. Twelve stories were a long way down.

"Hi, I'm Johnny. What's your name?"

"Not talking, not talking," the man muttered to himself. "Not talking." Then with a sharp change in tone, he shouted. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"We just want to talk to you for a bit, is that okay?"

The man muttered more, unintelligible to Johnny and he was already having that gut feeling that things weren't going to go well here. A quick glance back to Roy showed him nodding, encouraging him on.

"Is there someone we can call for you? Your folks? Or maybe a friend to talk to?"

"No friends, no friends, not talking." The man's rocking was more abrupt now. "STOP!"

Johnny took a few small steps closer to him. He just had to be in grabbing distance if the man decided to make the wrong decision. "Sometimes, it helps to talk to someone." A few more steps and the man still hadn't even attempted to make eye contact with him. "I know when things are pretty bad, I can talk to my best friend." He wanted to look at Roy to try and read the expression on his face. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen to you."

"Not listening." Then the man's head turned abruptly to Johnny, his expression angry. "No one is listening! That's the problem!"

Johnny raised his hands up. "I know how frustrating that can be. But I'll listen."

"There's no more time to listen," he said with a change in expression, to one of sadness. "No more time."

Johnny took some slow and easy steps toward him.

"Don't," the man warned him in a flat tone.

Shaking his head, Johnny paused. "Not moving. Maybe you could tell me what happened today."

His head was shaking rapidly now, the agitation back. "No. Not talking."

A few more steps. Johnny was now close enough to lunge for the man if he had too, though it would take them both over the side of the building without a doubt. "We're talking a little, and it's good."

The man looked at him again, and Johnny saw the change. He'd made a decision. Johnny had a split second to look back to Roy, the unspoken warning that he was about to grab the man. Then it all happened in the next second.

The man jumped.

Hank lunged for him.

Johnny lunged for him.

Marco and Chet put all their weight behind the rope.

"JOHNNY!" Roy called out when the rope stopped moving, knowing they at least had him.

Hank was hanging over the side now, with a wave of his wrist, the other men started pulling on the rope, praying there were two men on the other end of it. When they got to a stopping point, Roy looked back to them.

"Got him?"

They nodded as Roy let go and ran to the edge where Hank and the officers were trying to pull the man back to solid ground. He was fighting them tooth and nail over it, and it was taking Johnny's death grip to keep him from falling, while the other two drug him over the side.

The police took over restraining the frantic jumper as they got Johnny back over the side.

"You okay?"

He was out of breath but nodded. "Yea."

As they gathered up the safety equipment, the police escorted the man down the stairs and to the hospital for an evaluation.

"I've never seen anyone so determined before," Johnny said, shaking his head.

"You did good, Junior," Roy said with a small smile.

"Just felt like I needed the practice, huh?" He asked with a raised brow.

"I don't want to hog all the fun." Standing back up, he picked up one of the boxes.

Johnny reached for the other one, then started to say more, but held his tongue as Hank approached them.

"Good job, men. Had me worried there for a minute, Gage."

Johnny chuckled. "Same here, Cap."

"Let's get back."

The men finished up lunch, and Roy moved dishes from the table to the sink. Marco and Chet were busy wrestling over the broom in some sort of childish game, and Roy had to dodge around them. When Chet bumped into him, he grunted, and Johnny's head popped up.

"Sorry, Roy. Marco, see what you made me do!"

Marco laughed. "If you'd stop it wouldn't have happened."

The two men managed to make it to the bay, narrowly avoiding smacking Hank along the way, and earning a commander bellow to 'stop acting like children.' Hank worked his way to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup before leaning against the counter next to Roy.

"So, what did you and the kids do this weekend?"

"Joanne took the kids to her mothers' for the weekend."

Hank nodded, making a quick glance over to Johnny, who'd been watching Roy. "Same thing with mine, but they went to their aunt's beach house."

"Beach house, huh?" Johnny said with a grin. "Now, that'd be something nice to have sitting around."

"What about you two?"

"I'd take a beach house," Roy said with a grin.

"Wouldn't we all. But, I mean, what were you two up to this weekend? Anything fun?"

Johnny looked over to Roy, then down to the paper on the table. Roy kept washing dishes.

"Not much, just a little hiking."

"Perfect weather for it. Where at?"

Roy narrowed his brow just a bit. It wasn't like his Captain to be so specifically curious. He relaxed his shoulders. "Over at Twin Lakes, out by Johnny's place."

Hank nodded his head in a slow, casual manner. "Saw a picture of it, looks really nice up there."

"Picture?" Johnny asked out of curiosity.

Another nod, then a sip of coffee. "Yea, on the news this morning. Apparently, a climber fell off the mountain and died this weekend." He shifted to face them both better. "You two didn't hear about that?"

Johnny shook his head before he even realized what he was doing.

"Funny, cause the report said two firemen, a doctor, and a teacher helped save the other climber's life."

Roy wiped his hands dry. "That would have been us."

Hank smiled a bit. "You know your hero's."

Roy looked at his Captain. "Johnny saved the girl, he's the hero."

Johnny was on his feet immediately. "Are you kidding me? Roy, you saved Lily! There wasn't anything anyone of us could have done to save Phillip, and you know that."

"I thought I was ready for them."

He walked right up to his best friend. "And you were." Then his jaw dropped. The jumper. "We were all scrambling to get to Renee, and you're over there just waiting. You knew what was coming, and because of that, you caught Lily, or she would have gone down with Phillip."

Hank just leaned back and listened, knowing this was all fresh to them.

Johnny knew Roy was afraid of heights, extremely afraid of heights, pushing his fear to the back of his mind when a rescue was needed. He let the task overcome the fear, or at least distract him from it. Was he afraid of falling with the jumper? Then he remembered something else that had happened.

Reaching out, he pressed against Roy's abdomen, making him grunt with pain. "You're hurt." He knew it couldn't be serious since it was now three days later, but he was still concerned.

"Roy?" Hank asked him, his own voice full of worry now.

"I'm fine, the belt bruised me, so I'm a little sore."

Johnny raised his brow in expectation. "Well?"

"Really?" Roy complained.

"If you're hurt," Hank started to say.

"Fine," Roy interrupted him and untucked his shirt. Lifting it up, he revealed a large bruise that stretched across his abdomen.

"Dang it, Roy, why didn't you tell me?" He reached over and pressed against the yellow, green tainted skin.

Roy grimaced, more annoyed than anything. "Are you done?"

"Take him to Rampart."

"I'm fine, Cap, just bruised," he tried to protest.

However, Hank was ignoring him and spoke to Johnny. "Medical release before he comes back. Let me know if he needs a replacement."

Johnny just nodded at the very serious tone of his superior. "Sure, Cap."

When Hank turned around, Chet and Mike were standing in the dayroom door watching the interaction.

"I swear I didn't know I hit him that hard, Cap," Chet said apologetically.

Hank just walked past him and shook his head. "I told you to stop playing around. Maybe next time you'll listen to me."

Chet walked up to Roy. "Roy, man, I'm really sorry."

Roy wanted to smile, but Johnny was already speaking. "Back off, Chet. Before you break his ribs." Then he looked back to Roy. "And you, in the Squad."

"You know this is completely unnecessary," Roy grumbled as they drove down the road.

"Probably, but now Cap knows, so we'll get you a note for work. Is that why you didn't want to take the jumper?"

Roy shrugged. "Figured the belt would hurt too much if we fell. Besides, you do need the practice," he answered with a side grin.

"Did you tell Joanne?"

"For the most part." He looked over to Johnny. "There are just some details you leave out when talking to your pregnant wife."

Quietly, Johnny agreed. They'd never discussed it, the 'not telling anyone else' part. It was still too hard to think about.

"He heard about it on the news, do you think they're making a big deal out of it?"

"I hope not," Roy answered quietly.

Inside the ER, they found Dixie at the desk.

"Dix," Roy greeted her.

"Who popped your balloon?" She asked him, hands on her hips.

Johnny chuckled. "Balloon. Roy here needs a work release."

She frowned. "What happened?"

"Just a little hiking accident this weekend."

"Johnny, Roy, how are you two doing?"

They looked up to see Joe Early joining them.

"Good, Doc."

"I saw the news, was that really you two up there?"

Roy deflated. They were going to be forced to talk about it now.

"That was us, doc," Johnny told him. "And Roy here, he got banged up. Cap wants him checked before returning to work."

"Dix is two open?"

She nodded and followed them inside where she patted the table for him to hop on. "What happened?"

"Two people who shouldn't have been climbing." Roy climbed on the bed but didn't elaborate further.

"We lost one of them," Johnny finished.

"That's terrible!" She started helping Roy get his shirt off. "And you got hurt?"

"Just some bruising."

"You were the one holding them?" Joe asked him.

Roy nodded. He really didn't want to talk about this at all. Johnny stepped up close to him.

"He sure was."

"That was Lily holding the other one?"

Johnny just nodded. "We lost him."

Dixie was shocked. "Oh no, is she okay?"

"She's pretty shaken up."

"I bet she is. I can't imagine what she's going through."

"Lean back for me, Roy." Joe gently palpated the bruising, checking his ribs along the way. "No pain?"

"No, doc, just sore."

"It was difficult to tell who the people were in the video," Joe told them.

Johnny's head shot up. "Video?"

"Yes. Apparently, someone had an amateur video camera going by the lake. They caught the whole thing on tape. It's all over the news."

Roy sat up. "Joanne."

Johnny was already shaking his head. "Lily." He patted the bed. "I've got to go call her."

Nodding, Roy started putting his shirt back on. "This is bad."

"She didn't know you went climbing?" Dixie asked him, surprised.

"She knew, and I told her a climber fell."

Dixie shook her head. "But you left out a few details."

He rubbed his belly. "A few."

"Try and take it easy if you can today," Joe told him. "Come back if anything feels worrisome."

"I will doc. I think I better give Jo a call now."

In the lounge, Johnny was pacing.

"What's wrong?"

"No answer at all. Nothing all day. Where could they be?"

Roy picked up the phone and called his house. The conversation was brief, but Johnny could tell she was doing most of the talking, and she didn't sound happy.

"Doghouse?"

Roy let out a sigh. "If I'm lucky."

* * *

Lily sat in the rocking chair, cuddling Annie. "I can't believe how fast she's growing."

"Up two more pounds at the last visit," Karl laughed. "She's growing like a weed."

Her little fingers wrapped around Lily's. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here."

Ruth set a cup of hot tea next to her. "Anytime, my dear. You know you're always welcome here."

"Mark should be back with dad from rehab in a couple of hours." She looked up to Karl. "He just didn't want me to be at home by myself today."

"Mommy!"

Her face lit up. "What, baby?"

"Uncle Thomas let me ride Tango!"

She laughed as Thomas came in behind him.

"Hope it was okay," he quickly apologized. "Tango was saddled up already, and I just led him around the yard for a bit."

"Completely fine. Johnny's been teaching him."

"I could tell," Thomas chuckled. "He's a natural."

"Again, mommy?"

"Not right now, sweetie. We need to eat some lunch and take a nap."

"Hey, big boy," Karl said, picking up the toddler. "Let's go find something to eat, okay?"

"Carrots!"

He laughed. "Carrots it is then."

They disappeared around the corner, and Ruth watched Lily's face fall. Walking up to her, she put her arm around Lily's shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

"I'm so sorry for all you're going through. Please let me know if I can do anything at all."

"Thank you. It means so much to know I have somewhere safe to go when I need to."

"Let me go fix her a bottle, and you can feed her if you want."

Lily smiled. "I'd love that. I'll go change her diaper."

In the backroom, Annie's room, the memories were still there, but the edges were fading, replaced by this new life that was bringing joy back into the house.

"Okay, little one." She laid her down on the changing table and wrinkled up her nose. "Oh, my, you've been busy."

Annie smiled at her and cooed.

"Yes, you are adorable, but that doesn't make this a pretty sight," she giggled. "You're going to need a new outfit too."

After getting Annie all cleaned up, she turned to find Karl standing in the door with Matthew in his arms with a small frown on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"He ate some lunch, but he does not want to lay down without you."

Lily smiled, not surprised. They were somewhere a little new to him, especially at sleeping time.

"It's nap time, Matty, and when you wake up, we'll go outside to play."

He frowned and started to cry. "I don't wanna sleep."

That wasn't like him. "How about if I tuck you in?"

As he crawled over into her arms, Karl took Annie from her. When she walked by him, Karl leaned in and whispered in her other ear. She looked at him quickly. All he did was nod in return.

"Take the upstairs bedroom," he told her. "It's nice and quiet up there."

Upstairs she crawled into the bed with him, letting him snuggle right up against her. Once he stopped moving, he was out, and she just laid with him, brushing through his dirty blonde hair with her fingers.

* * *

Roy backed the Squad into the bay and headed straight to Hank's office to give him the work release.

"Good to go, Cap."

"Glad to hear that. Make the Squad available, and Marco has lunch out."

Chet came running into the office, causing both men to look up.

"Uh, you two might want to see this," he said before disappearing back into the day room.

Everyone was gathered at the TV, including Johnny.

_As promised, News 4 is exclusively bringing you the incredible video of a harrowing rescue that occurred at the Sleeping Giant mountain this weekend as some hikers encountered trouble hundreds of feet in the air! _

"Wow, that's you, Roy?" Mike asked as they watched the shaky video that showed the rescue on the mountain.

Johnny looked back at him, knowing he wasn't going to answer them. Walking up to the screen, he pointed them out. "Roy, that's Lily with Renee and Phillip, the climbers in trouble, and that's me and Mark coming down to her."

When they fell, everyone gasped and flinched. Johnny watched in awe and horror with them. The awe with how Lily refused to let go of the man, and with horror to see her hit the wall. Everyone waited with bated breath, sharing observations on what happened. Until Phillip fell.

It was like being on the mountain with them again.

The questions started flying at the medics from friends that were equally concerned and in amazement of what had happened to them. Hank finally walked over and turned it off as the news station was playing in for the sixth time. He could also see that Roy was not enjoying the commentary at all.

"Enough. We have an inspection coming, get back to work."

Hearing his phone ring, Hank returned to his office. If a few minutes, he wandered out to the back lot where the medics were finishing up hoses.

"Cap, everything okay?" Johnny asked him from above.

"Just got a call from the Chief." He stuck his hands in his pants pockets. "Seems he's also seen the video and well," he paused.

"And what?" Roy asked, with a hint of annoyance.

"He plans on thanking you personally for your heroic actions."

"A man died that day. There's nothing to celebrate," Roy said and walked off.

Johnny climbed down. "We really don't want any big deal made about this, Cap. It was," he let out a sigh. "It was a really bad thing."

Hank nodded. "I understand that. I'll let the Chief know. But, John, you know you still saved a life that day."

"I know, and Roy knows that too."

* * *

Mark and Eli came into the house as Karl welcomed them in.

"Make yourselves at home, gentlemen. It's really good to have you back home, Eli."

The older doctor smiled. "Thank you, Karl. It's the best feeling in the world. Where's my girl?"

"She's upstairs taking a nap with Matthew. He wouldn't go down without her." He glanced over to Mark. "Mind if I talk with you for a minute?"

Mark looked stressed, and Karl didn't want to add to it but wanted him to know what happened.

"Cup of coffee?" Karl offered as they moved into the kitchen.

"Sounds good, thanks. What's up?" Mark didn't really know the man, just enough to know he had saved his families lives that stormy night, and that was all he needed to know.

Karl passed him a cup and joined him at the table. "I know there's a lot of personal stuff going on and I'm not trying to get in the middle of any of it."

Mark raised his brow. "But?"

Karl chuckled. "But," he said, then got more serious. "When I tried to lay Matthew down for a nap, he cried and kept asking me if Aunt Mil was here, he'd seen her at his house."

Sitting back in the chair, Mark closed his eyes for a moment.

"He was really upset, Mark, scared. So, Lily laid down with him."

"My wife."

Karl only knew a few details, those that Johnny had shared with him. He did know that something had happened to her and Matthew up in Portland, making her leave emergently.

"I just thought you should know."

"Thanks. Where are they?"

Mark leaned in the doorway and watched them sleep. Lily was on her back with Matthew sprawled out, his legs draped across her chest and stomach. Backing out, he closed the door again.

"I'm going to run Eli home, just have her call when she wakes up."

"I have to head back to the office in a bit. I'll drop her off on the way."

Mark reached out and shook his head. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

With Eli updated on all that had happened, he was now full of questions as they drove home.

"When are you going to tell her?"

Letting out a sigh, Mark worked his way through the small town. "I'll tell her tonight."

"Good, because you know she's not stupid."

With a small smile, he turned to his father. "Oh, I know that."

"Then just be upfront with her. Don't blindside her, Mark. She can't handle that right now."

The morning had been a nightmare. Getting Eli to therapy, convincing Millie to leave town which called for some promises he knew he couldn't keep and keeping her away from Lily. "Tonight, I promise."

Once in the house, Eli headed to his room for a nap.

"I've got an errand to run, dad. Be back in a bit." If things were going to change, he had some business to take care of.

When Lily and Matthew were dropped off, the first thing she did upon entering the house was dart to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

_Lily, where have you been? I've been worried about you all day_. Johnny said.

"I'm so sorry. I've been over at Karl's because Mark took Eli to LA for therapy today."

_Why to Karl's_? Johnny was confused.

She hesitated for a minute. "Oh, he's a worrywart and didn't want me to be alone today."

_How are you feeling?_

"I'm fine, sore, but okay. How's your day been?"

_Long. I've missed you and just wanted to make sure you were okay._

"I've missed you too, but I'm okay, promise."

_So, a quiet day?_

"Perfectly quiet. Matty and I got a long nap in together."

_That's good. Is Mark around?_

"No, he's out doing errands or something. Dad's here. Why is something wrong?"

_No, nothing's wrong. Just wondering, have you had a chance to watch the news today?_

She shook her head. "No, why?"

He tried to lighten his tone._ Well, it seems our weekend adventure made the news, and I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay._

"The news?!" She turned to look at Eli. "Dad turn on the TV."

_Lily don't watch it if it's too much. We were there, we know what happened. Roy and I have been trying to avoid it all day. _Behind him, the klaxons alarmed. _Hey, I've got to go, but I'll see you tomorrow. Love you._

"Love you too, see you tomorrow."

Johnny hung up the phone and turned to see Roy watching him from the couch since the alarm ended up being for the Engine and not them. He sat on the table, putting his feet up on a chair. "She says she's fine."

"Well, that's good, that she's doing okay today."

"She sounds like she's doing better than us."

After four days of hell and being able to hear that she was okay, Roy felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"We'll be fine, Junior."

* * *

With Matthew in bed and Eli watching TV, Lily worked on cleaning up the kitchen from dinner when Mark finally came back through the door.

"Need help?"

She shook her head. "You missed dinner."

He gave a little shrug. "Sorry, had to get a few things done before tomorrow."

"Oh, what's tomorrow?"

Leaning against the table, he let out a small sigh. "I've got to go back home, Lil."

Her unbandaged hand was in the sudsy water, and it grew still. He gave her a minute to decide how upset she would be.

"Are you coming back?" She asked softly.

Every part of him wanted to say yes, but the fear of making a promise right now kept him from answering right away.

She turned around, and he was surprised to find dry eyes from her. Then she laughed.

"You should see the look on your face," she told him. "What did you think I was going to do? Have a crying breakdown? You're a grown man, Mark, and you have a family that you have to take care of. I do understand that you know."

"I don't want to leave, especially now."

"I believe you. Still, go home and figure things out up there, because I don't want them down here around me anymore."

He nodded, knowing she was right. He'd been wrong to invade her life before settling things first, and the repercussions of that brought Millie down here in her own house. She walked over to him.

"You're my big brother, and you're always there for me. Right now, I'm here for you, and it's okay to go do what you need to do. I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

He patted his arm. "I'm sure. Go and do what you need to do. You know where to find us when you need us."

"Okay."

"Now, you can help with the dishes, because this is taking forever one-handed," she winked at him.

"Yes, ma'am."

When they were finished, both went into the living room where Lily started up the stairs with Eli.

"Hey, where do you want this stuff?" He asked, holding the duffel bag full of climbing gear.

"You can get rid of it."

He chuckled. "That's what I'm trying to do. Where do you want me to store it?"

She was at the top stairs when she turned back around and answered him very calmly.

"In the garbage. I won't be needing it anymore."


	5. Chapter 5

**PONIES, PROMISES, AND PARAMEDICS**

_These good fellows don't belong to me, but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home._

Family don't end with blood, boy. Bobby Singer, Supernatural

_A/N: Thank you for the notes and reviews! I appreciate you all very much. Thank you also for your patience. Sorry this took a while. I got distracted. Thank goodness for COZI TV and the boys reminding me what I should be doing! Time for a little family fun now. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think._

CHAPTER 5

* * *

Johnny pulled down the driveway, working to find a place to park in the front yard. Matthew was already jumping up and down in the seat with excitement.

"Mommy! Look!" He yelled, pointing to the horses in the corral.

"I see them."

"Look, Tango!" He looked back at her with a very serious expression. "I love Tango, mommy."

She laughed. "I know you do. Maybe Uncle Thomas will let you visit him today."

Johnny found a place to park by a large oak tree, where they climbed out and felt the nice autumn breeze blowing around them. Reaching in the backseat, she helped Eli out then grabbed the box of food. Rookie yelped with excitement as he jumped out and waited next to Johnny.

"Easy boy, wait."

"Baby, stay with Johnny or me until we get settled, okay?"

Reaching up, Matthew took Johnny's hand. "Yes, mommy." Then looking up at Johnny, he held a big smile. "Can we go now?"

He chuckled. "I think we're ready."

They could already hear the music coming from the back of the Whispering Pines's main house and followed it. Greeted instantly by MaryAnn and Ruth, Lily quickly was absorbed by the women who were busy discussing food, recipes, and Labor Day specials. Eli headed off to talk to some familiar faces. Feeling a tugging on his hand, Johnny looked down at the eager face and nodded, releasing him into the crowd of familiar faces and the gaggle of kids playing in the backyard.

"Stay with him, Rook," Johnny instructed the pup who promptly ran off after Matthew.

"About time," Roy chuckled, as Johnny joined him and Chet.

"Cap come?"

Chet nodded and pointed with his beer bottle through the crowd to where Hank was talking to Eddy and Karl. Johnny glanced around and just smiled to see everyone gathered again for the holiday. Just off the back porch, Earl and Brian were busy cooking up burgers and hot dogs with Thomas running interference between the two men who were having a sibling argument over who had the better grilling methods.

Patrick came up to them with a bouncing, happy Annie in his arms. "Johnny!"

"Don't you look adorable today, Miss Annie."

She was dressed in a denim diaper cover, with a colorful flower top, topped off with a red bow in her blonde hair. She looked at Roy and smiled.

Johnny laughed. "I think she picked you for today, Roy."

Patrick passed her over, and Roy easily settled her into the crook of his arm.

"She's getting so big," Joanne said as she joined them. "Hey, cutie pie."

Lily was now with them and reached out to rub Joanne's belly. "Six months?"

She nodded. "Three to go."

"Well, I think he's ready," Johnny chuckled as Roy was focused on Annie.

Joanne rolled her eyes. "Of course, he's ready. I'm the one doing all the work."

Lily winked at her. "You're going to do great. You're a pro at this."

Joanne laughed. "It's not like I have any choice in the matter."

"Any names picked out yet?"

Joanne nudged her head to her husband. "I do, he doesn't."

Johnny laughed. He'd heard this argument for a few weeks now. "Don't get them started on that subject."

Roy just shrugged. "No rush. We have plenty of time."

"He's never in a hurry," Joanne laughed. "He refused to agree to a name for those two until he could see their faces."

Lily sided with Roy. "I didn't name Matty until I met him face to face."

Looking over at Johnny, Roy nodded. "Told ya."

His partner just chuckled.

"Lily?"

She turned around. "Thomas, hey."

"Is it okay for Matthew to ride today? Patrick and Karl are going to help."

"Of course. He's been talking about this for a week."

He grinned. "Good, thanks. We're going to let them ride for a while before we eat." Looking down, he felt a tug on his pants. Smiling at the little girl beside him, "Yes, Olivia?"

"Can I go?"

"Where's your mom and dad, honey?"

She pointed to the back porch where Mason and Sophia were sitting in rocking chairs talking to MaryAnn and Nick. Taking her hand, he excused himself and followed the nine-year-old to her parents.

Lily took Annie from Roy and drifted off with Joanne to talk with Cara who was holding baby Dustin, born the same night as Annie and almost twice as big. There Suzanne joined them, Brian's wife.

"Johnny, Roy."

"Hank, where's your crew?" Roy asked him.

"The girls are in line to ride the horses, and Emily is wandering around here somewhere. Chet, you here alone?"

He quickly shook his head. "Tara's over there with Julie by the horses."

Johnny looked over to see the pretty brunette standing beside her daughter's wheelchair. "How's Julie doing?"

"She's feeling better, was sick a couple of weeks ago. But got to ride this week with MaryAnn."

"That's good. MaryAnn still have camp planned in a couple of weeks?" He'd been so busy he'd not been out to Whispering Pines in a while and had to admit he missed it.

Chet nodded. "She is. I'll be here on my days off."

Hank chuckled. "You already are."

"True," he grinned. "You coming?" He asked Johnny.

"I'll be here. I think we're working on that back barn during camp."

"Marco, make it?" Roy asked Hank.

"Yea, he's around here somewhere."

Johnny looked around and found the lineman sitting on the back porch. "Uh, oh."

Roy followed his eyes and chuckled. "Well, we knew it was coming."

"Should we try and rescue him?" Hank asked, cautiously.

Johnny immediately shook his head. "No way I'm going to interrupt that."

They all just laughed and left Marco to his fate as he sat in a rocking chair with Rose sitting next to him.

"Your mother was welcome to join us today."

"Yes, ma'am, and she said thank you for the invitation. She went to visit my sister's family in San Diego this weekend."

"Just one sister?"

"No, ma'am. I have two sisters and one brother. Only my sister lives in California. Everyone else is scattered across the southwest."

"Never married?"

Marco was not bothered by any of Rose's questions. He was prepared after all of Johnny's stories over the last year and a half.

"Never married."

She turned to look at him. "Why not?"

He shrugged. "Never found the right girl, I guess."

"I'm surprised your momma hasn't tried to rectify that."

He chuckled. "Oh, she's tried."

Rose smiled. "Good. Why did you become a firefighter?"

"My parents owned their own restaurant when I was little, and we had a bad fire. I thought they were the bravest men I'd ever seen."

Her brow raised with surprise. "And now?"

He glanced across the gathering. "Now, I work with some of the bravest men I've ever known."

She smiled at him. "So, you want someone brave?"

He shook his head. "I guess I don't know what I want yet."

"And that's perfectly fine, young man. But, never forget that bravery comes in surprising and unexpected ways."

Narrowing his brow, he wasn't exactly sure what she was trying to tell him. "What kind of ways?"

Scooting closer to the edge of her seat, she reached her hand out. "Son, can you help me up?"

Quickly, he stood up and eased her out of the deep rocking chair.

"Whew, it's a wonderful place to sit, but hard for this old body to climb out of." Dusting down her dress, she turned back to the patiently waiting man. "It's not my place to tell you those things. Certain paths you have to find yourself, only then are they worth treasuring and holding on to. Do you understand that?"

Marco smiled softly at her. "Yes, ma'am. I do."

She gently patted his cheek. "Yes, you do. You are a very nice young man and one day soon, you're going to turn around and find her standing right in front of you. I just hope you realize it before she's gone. Now, let's go enjoy this beautiful day."

Marco's head was swimming with the cryptic messages of Rose as he headed off in search of Hank and the others.

"John?"

He knew the voice before he even turned around. With a big smile, he turned to see Rose standing there.

"Mamma Rose, how are you." He gave her a hug.

"Doing pretty good, son. I thought maybe we could talk for a while."

Looking back at Roy, the man was no help, only giving him a raised brow. Johnny pointed a finger at him, as if to say, you're next. Roy shook his head and walked further in the other direction, making Johnny chuckle. Following her to the side of the house, they stopped at a double wooden swing. Helping her up the platform, she took a seat on one side, and he took the other.

"I've not seen you for a while."

"I'm really sorry I've not been by." He really was, time had just gotten away from him recently.

"You've had a lot going on, so I understand."

Of course, she would know stuff, she always did. He'd talked to Roy, a lot recently, since the mountain disaster, but not really anyone else. Eli had voiced his concerns soon after Mark disappeared again, and Johnny had spent all this time trying to get some emotion out of Lily other than 'being okay.'

Leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, he ran his fingers through his hair. Things felt very unsettled with him.

Rose was watching him closely. "And, how is Lily doing through all this?"

"I don't know." Looking up to her, he repeated it with a shake of his head. "I really don't know." Instantly, he felt a compelling need to speak his deepest worries to her. "She keeps saying she's fine." He threw his head back and put his hands in the air. "I say, how are you feeling, fine. Are you upset over Mark? No, she's fine. Can Matty go play in the middle of the road, yea, that's fine." Letting out an exasperated sigh, he continued. "She pretends like nothing is bothering her, and she refuses to talk about climbing or getting her certification. I don't know what to do to help her."

Rose was quiet for a minute.

"John, you can't fix this for her. You know that."

"I know, and I don't like it."

She smiled at him. "I'd be worried if you felt anything less." Reaching out, she patted his arm. "She's been through worse and found her way. She feels deeply, son and people like that can't be rushed or pushed faster simply because we feel uncomfortable for them. Just be there for her."

"Johnny!"

Looking up, Lily was running to him. He was on his feet immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she laughed. "You have to come and see this."

Rose smiled and waved him on.

Taking her outreached hand, they joined the crowd that had gathered around a fenced-off area at the back of the barn. Moving to the fence, Johnny started laughing right away. In the arena were a slew of kids, Roy's, Hank's girls, Matthew, and many others. Half were running after the squealing piglets, and the other half were trying to ride them. All were completely covered in mud now.

"Look at their clothes!" Joanne gasped.

Roy slid his arm around her waist. "That's what extra clothes are for. They're having fun."

"Oh, my," Ruth chuckled as she joined them.

In with the kids was Patrick and sixteen-year-old Sam.

"Are they helping or trying to get control?" Chet asked, laughing.

"I'm pretty sure control was lost a long time ago," Karl answered.

The kids were laughing so hard every time a piglet slipped out of their hands; they were having trouble standing up.

"Farm life," Johnny laughed. "Gotta love it."

An hour later, the kids were cleaned up and everyone was sitting down for dinner. Lily put a plate down for Eli and sat down beside him.

"Thanks, honey. Where's Johnny?"

She nodded to where he was standing with Chet and Tara talking. Matthew was in his arms.

"I miss him too," Eli told her.

"I thought he would have called by now." She picked at her food.

"I still think he's working hard to get back here. You know, some things just take time to work themselves out."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, dad."

"It's been almost three weeks."

"Two weeks, five days to be exact, and the answer is still no. I won't climb again." Glancing back at Matthew, she had to resist taking him from Johnny's arms and hugging him, again. "What if something happened to me?"

"That's just an excuse, and you know it. You know I've never played games with you, Elizabeth, so I'm not going to start now."

She chuckled. "Of course not." Reaching up, she rubbed his shoulder. "I love you, dad, but you're not always right about everything."

He shrugged. "Maybe not. But I am about this."

Johnny joined them and sat Matthew down beside him with their plates, while Rookie settled under the table at their feet. "We finally made it."

Chet sat down beside him, holding two plates as Tara pushed Julie's wheelchair up to the table.

"Julie, you look beautiful today," Lily told her and watched the young girl smile.

"Thank you," she told her. Her speech was broken and staggered, but they could still understand her.

"She's had a great week and has been so excited to be here today," Tara said.

Chet passed her one of the plates and silverware. "At least we had decent weather. I was sure it would rain today."

"No rain. I said so," Julie told him.

He leaned over to her and smiled. "You're exactly right, no rain today. You do a better job of predicting the weather than the news."

"I know," she said, nodding her head.

Chet laughed. "That you do, girl. That you do."

Tara shook her head as she helped Julie eat. "Chet has her convinced she's a meteorologist."

He pointed his fork at them. "Trust me. When she gets up and decides what to wear, she's always right. Can't say that for the weatherman."

Leaning against Chet, she smiled. "And she loves all the attention."

Chet winked at Julie. "She deserves all the attention."

Julie laughed.

Karl sat at the table with them next.

"Where's my baby?" Lily teased him.

"Mom has her. Mom always has her," he laughed.

"Hey Johnny, I heard the good news."

He raised his brow. "News?"

"The Paramedic Program, it's been approved."

Johnny looked over to Eli, who just returned the look. "Eli?"

"Seems we finally have everything to get the program started at the first of the year."

"Dad, you're going to run the program? Why didn't you say anything?"

He started shaking his head. "No, I'm not running it. They found someone else to do that. I'm going to help with teaching and administrative duties."

"They did? Who?" Johnny asked.

Eli shrugged. "I've not been part of those negotiations but it sounds like someone with good experience."

Johnny looked at Chet with a grin. "That's great!"

Lily was excited too. "January? Wow, that's not very far away."

"Well, they told me to get a crew to start working on lesson plans. They want me, you, and Roy to meet with Brackett at the end of the month to organize the classroom part of the program. Something like this is an incredible amount of paperwork. But they have State approval now for certifications and licensure. We're also going to start taking in applications next month and screening candidates."

Johnny clapped his hands together. "This is the best news." He quickly looked around to find Roy and Joanne sitting with Hank and Emily. "I've got to go tell Roy. Be right back."

* * *

Mike hopped out of his truck and jogged up the stairs to the correct apartment door. When he knocked the roommate opened the door and ushered him inside.

"My, my, don't you look sharp today," she teased him.

Mike tried to not look self-conscious as he shuffled his feet. He'd never admit to anyone how much thought he put into what to wear for a cookout. In nice jeans, and a button downed striped shirt, he was more worried about impressing her parents than he was her.

When she came down the stairs, she was wearing a simple denim short skirt with a red lacey tank top. Her hair wasn't pulled back, ringlets hanging down her shoulders and her smile warmed his heart. She went straight up to him, her hand on his chest as she leaned in for a kiss.

"Michael, you look quite delicious."

He chuckled. "You look beautiful as usual."

"I'm just glad you showed up," she said with a raised bow.

"Promised I'd be here," he said with a similar expression.

"Aye, that ye did. I'm ready."

She grabbed her pocketbook and turned to her roommate. "We'll be back at some point, Elaine."

Elaine just laughed. "Yea, and Mike? Good luck."

He smiled but wasn't sure he liked the expression on her face.

Tessie grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door. "Don't listen to her. It's going to be a foirfe day."

The drive out to Sierra held light conversation as Tessie kept reminding him about her family.

"My brother, Finn's wife, is Nora, and their leanai's?"

"The twins, Eileen and Dana."

She nodded. "The twins are six now and what a handful." She laughed. "Mi sisters are?"

"Bree, Leela, and Shannon. Bree is in Ireland, Leela is a junior in high school, and Shannon is in college. And your brothers are Shane and Finn. Shane is single but dating a 'nice Irish lass,' and Finn is the only married sibling."

Tessie turned in her seat to face him. "You have been listening!"

It would have been nice to meet her parents for the first time at an intimate dinner, instead of her entire family at a Labor Day cookout. But here he was and determined to make it through the day.

They drove past Silverdale, then through Sierra Grand, across the new bridge and up into the countryside. It was a part of this small town that he'd never been too, even by horseback on a dark and stormy night. Tessie kept guiding him, and soon they pulled up to a beautiful farmhouse. Mike instantly admired the square, two-story home that was encased in stones with a stark black roof.

"You grew up here?"

"Yes. Papa and grandpa build it when they first came to America. Everything was done by hand."

"Incredible."

She was bubbling with excitement as they parked, and he went around to open her door. Standing in front of him she suddenly looked nervous herself.

"How do I look?"

He tucked a curl behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her. "Beautiful."

She nodded and smiled at him, releasing a deep breath. "Then, let's do this."

They could hear the music blaring from the back yard, and the smell of grilling BBQ wafted through the air. When they rounded the corner of the house, the party was in full swing, and it was crowded. Tessie pulled him through the crowds, where he was introduced to aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, first to fourth cousins, childhood friends, and everyone in between. Being a quiet soul, it was challenging, but he accepted all the hugs, handshakes, and kisses with patience.

Leela stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. She looked just like Tessie, a younger sister who was fourteen years old and clearly just as fiery as her sibling.

"So, you're a fireman?"

He nodded. "I am. I work with the LA County Fire Department."

The younger girl shook her head. "My sister is so busy following you around, she's never home anymore."

"I'll be sure to talk to her about that then," he answered. "But when I was your age the last person I wanted following me around was my big brother."

Tessie walked up behind him. "I'm not home all the time anymore because I'm an adult, Leela."

Leela grinned. "I like him."

Tessie laughed. "If you pass the Leela test, you must be pretty good, mo' gra."

Mike had already learned that term of affection, it meant my love and always made him want to kiss her. When he glanced over, she was looking at him expectantly, so he leaned down to kiss her on the lips.

"Ooo, I'm telling mama!"

Tessie looked around quickly. "Where is she and papa?"

Leela's smiled dropped a bit. "He's not met papa yet? Tess!"

She scoffed at her. "I've been looking for him."

"He went to restock the coolers."

Grabbing his hand, they headed towards the drinks and straight to an older grey-headed man who was enjoying the small gathering around him.

"Papa?"

Mike could instantly sense the change in her demeanor, respect, and honor for her father. The man turned around and just beamed when he saw her, pulling her into a warm hug. His greeting was in full Gaelic, and Mike didn't understand a word of it, but the meaning was clear.

Pulling back, she reached for his hand and introduced him to the most important person in her life.

"Papa, this is Michael Stoker."

The older man looked him up and down, with not exactly a frown, but not yet showing approval.

"Teaghlach?" He asked sternly.

Mike was prepared for the question. "Yes, Sir. My parents live in Montana, and I had an older brother who was killed in a car accident when I was sixteen."

The man nodded. "What are your intentions with mi inion?" His accent was much thicker than his daughters.

"Sir, I hope to continue to spend time with her and get to know her and her family better. And I plan to take good care of her."

"Have ye ever been to Eireann, young man?"

"No Sir, but Tessie and I talked about going together one day so she can give me a proper tour."

The father seemed content. "I see. Enjoy the bailiu."

Tessie just beamed as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Papa."

The two mingled through the crowd, talking with various family members and Tessie made sure he met all her brothers and sisters. When he was pulled into another direction, he turned around to find a beautiful older woman, fire-red hair just like Tessie's, and a warm smile on her face.

"Theresa," she said pulling her daughter into a hug.

Mike looked over to her realizing this was the first time he'd ever heard her given name.

"Mama, this is Michael." Her voice was different with her mother, no formality, but definitely a sense of importance. "Michael, this is my Mama, Aoife (ee-fa)."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. McGeary."

"Please, call me Eve, and it's nice to meet you, Michael." She turned to Tessie. "You found Papa?"

She nodded. "We did."

"Well then," she smiled at him. "I won't torture you with questions. We're glad you're here and look forward to getting to know you better."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"There's plenty to eat, help yourself and enjoy."

The music played loudly, and soon they were dancing on the lawn and having fun. Babies were passed around, and children ran through the crowd. The music was different than he was used to, but the company was friendly, welcoming, boisterous, and definitely enjoying the flowing of the drinks.

Tessie smiled as he plopped into a chair and took a swig of beer. "Not wearing you out yet am I?"

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into his lap, making her laugh.

"I don't wear out that easily."

"Tess!"

She turned to see her baby sister. "Bree!" Jumping up, she gave her a hug.

Bree was her youngest sister, twelve years old and the only family member he'd not met yet. Tessie had already shared that she was in Ireland attending school. The next few minutes held a conversation that he couldn't understand at all, with frequent glances in his direction, along with a few winks from Tessie at him. The younger girl was totally different that Tessie, long dark hair, hazel eyes, and a complexion that was more from her father. When they finished, she took Bree's hand and walked over to him.

Tessie's arm was around her. "Michael, this is my baby sister, Bree. Bree, this is mo Michael."

Bree giggled. "You're right, he's very cute."

Mike gave a little smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bree. I thought you were still in Dublin."

"Me Papa sent for me a couple of days ago. I was so happy to come home."

"I bet. I know Tessie is really glad to see you."

Bree wrapped both arms around her big sister and hugged her. "I missed her the most!"

"Mike, is it?"

He turned to find a younger man, twenties, dark-headed with dark green eyes addressing him. "Yes?"

"An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?"

"Patrick, you know perfectly well he doesn't speak Gaelic. Don't be so rude to my mo ghrá."

The man smiled at her in a way that Mike didn't appreciate.

"Just wanted to know if he'd be interested in some football. The boys are getting a game started, and Mike here is welcome to play."

Football. He could do football, and he was a pretty mean kicker back in his high school days. "Sure, I'll play."

Tessie was already shaking her head as Patrick turned to leave. "Gaelic football isn't like what you're used to, Michael."

He passed his keys to her. "I'm a quick learner."

She started rattling off rules to him. "You move up the field by carrying, bouncing, kicking, hand-passing, and soloing. You score with points and goals. You get a point for kicking or hand-passing the ball over the crossbar, and a goal is for kicking the ball under the crossbar into the net."

He looked over to her with a questioning grin.

Tessie shrugged. "It's been around in Ireland since the thirteenth century. And I have brothers."

Moving through the crowd that had gathered on the sidelines, she pushed him towards Patrick.

"Aye, ye made it. We're over here."

Mike followed him over to the end of a large rectangle field of grass that lay beyond the back yard. At each end were what seemed to be a cross between a soccer goal net and the long poles of a football goal.

Patrick passed him a team shirt that was red in color. "Us, them," he said, pointing to the other end of the field.

The other team members were all wearing blue. There were about ten men and older boys on each side, and he now realized all the women were standing on the sidelines to cheer them on. Patrick shoved the round white ball into his hands.

"What's this?"

The man laughed before taking it back. "The football, my friend. Now, we have to get it into that goal."

When the whistle blew from the center group of players the game began. Mike tried to stay focused on red versus blue players, and to keep his eye on the location of the ball at all times. What he wasn't prepared for was the high impact, rough, knock you to the ground play that accompanied the game. It wasn't going to slow him down, though. He was in good shape, and he let them know it.

At one point, the ball ended up in his hands, and he quickly realized the gang of blue was headed right for him. Using some of the kicking and holding skills he'd seen the others utilize, he dodged the other team just long enough to drop punt the ball over the poles. When the elected umpire threw the white flag to the ground, he thought he'd done something wrong, then the crowd began cheering.

Patrick came up behind him. "Not too bad, Mike. Four to two now."

The game was rough and exhausting, but in the end, his team won by one point, and everyone was congratulating him on his first Gaelic win.

Tessie greeted him with a towel to wipe the sweat away and a cold pint. "Well, seems I learn something new about you every day."

He felt on top of the world. "And I'm not finished teaching you either."

She laughed as he picked her up to kiss her. Patrick stood over to the side and didn't seem nearly as happy on the outcome of the win.

* * *

There was a large bonfire, surrounded by benches and chairs out past the barn. Darkness had settled in, and the group was enjoying each other's company as Eddy and Dillon pulled out their guitars to provide some music. Julie had gone to sleep in MaryAnn's extra room, so Chet and Tara could enjoy the evening together. She leaned against him as they held hands, and even Johnny had to admit, they made a nice couple. Chet was different with her than he was at the station and something about him had changed since he'd started coming out to Whispering Pines.

The older kids were helping the younger ones to make smores with Roy, Joanne, and Suzanne helping to pass out the supplies. Andie sat with Marco as they laughed at the antics of the day. As couples held hands and enjoyed the children, the music began to fill the air and voices joined in the old country songs that just seemed at home around a campfire.

_The first thing I remember knowin'__  
__Was a lonesome whistle blowin'__  
__And a young un's dream of growin' up to ride__  
__On a freight train leavin' town__  
__Not knowin' where I'm bound__  
__And no one could change my mind, but Mama tried__  
_(Mama Tried, Merle Haggard, 1968)

No one seemed surprised when Nick pulled out a banjo and joined in the music. When there was a pause after a few songs, someone shouted from the crowd.

"DO IT!"

MaryAnn laughed. "Don't encourage him!"

"Yea, do it!" Others started calling out.

Those new to these antics just looked at each other as Nick on banjo and Eddy on guitar stood up and stood next to each other.

"I hope you finally practiced," Nick teased him.

"I don't need practice, old man," Eddy teased right back at him.

Now the laughs were coming from the group as they egged them on.

Eddy played a chord and Nick repeated the cord on his banjo. Johnny was sitting up straighter now as the cheering was starting to get louder.

"What are they doing?" He asked Karl.

"Shhhh, listen," he told him.

One played, then the next repeated and this continued as the chords got more complicated. It was fascinating to watch the skill both men had. Johnny was in awe, knowing how he had completely failed at learning guitar, and here these two were blowing him out of the water with their talent.

The dueling banjos continued as the onlookers clapped with them. When they were going full steam, you couldn't even keep up with how fast their fingers were moving, and both men were grinning from ear to ear as they played. When they finished, everyone was on their feet with applause as the men took their bows.

When the next song started, couples were standing up dancing, and Johnny took Lily by the hand. Swinging her in his arms, she was the happiest he had seen her since losing Phillip. She seemed carefree and truly happy. When he twirled her around, she laughed, and he knew he couldn't wait to call her his wife.

_My sweet Lord  
Mm, my Lord  
Mm, my Lord_

_I really want to see you  
Really want to be with you  
Really want to see you, Lord  
But it takes so long, my Lord_

(My Sweet Lord, George Harrison, 1970)

Soon exhausted kids were climbing into laps, and the late-night had everyone staring into the embers as the music softened.

_So let it out and let it in__  
__Hey Jude, begin__  
__You're waiting for someone to perform with__  
__And don't you know that it's just you__  
__Hey Jude, you'll do__  
__The movement you need is on your shoulder  
Na-na-na, na, na__  
__Na-na-na, na, yeah  
_(Hey Jude, Beatles, 1968)

Matthew climbed out of Lily's arms and into Johnny's where he fell asleep. Looking over he could see Jenny asleep in Roy's as his other hand rested on Joanne's belly, her hand on his. Hank and Emily were snuggled up with their almost asleep girls, and Chet had Tara sitting in front of him, his arms around her. For the first time in the last couple of weeks, Johnny felt contentment. This crazy group of country people was so important to him now. They were his family. When his eyes met Lily's, she smiled at him, and he knew then he wouldn't push her on anything. Every day was a gift, and he wasn't going to waste it by challenging her when she clearly wasn't ready. Nothing was worth risking her.

* * *

The celebration continued until after dark when a large bonfire was lit, and everyone gathered around for loud Irish bar songs, while the whiskey and Guinness flowed without hesitation.

_And it's home, boys, home__  
__Home I'd like to be home for a while__  
__In me own country__  
__Where the oak and the ash and the bonny rowan tree__  
__Are all a-growin' green in the old country  
_(Home Boys, Home by The Dubliners, 1964)

Everyone was singing at the top of their lungs with passion for their heritage. Three were playing guitars and one violin, with another using traditional bagpipes with ease. When the music slowed down, it changed to a ballad that had everyone grow quiet. Mike watched as Bree, Leela, and Shannon came and sat down with Tessie. Bree started singing first, her voice smooth and graceful. She was incredibly talented. Then after about three verses, the other sisters joined, and it changed to a beautifully haunting harmony that sent chill bumps to his arms.

_Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling_  
_From glen to glen, and down the mountain side._  
_The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,_  
_It's you, it's you must go and I must bide._

He felt Tessie's hand slide into his and squeeze it.

_And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,_  
_For you will bend and tell me that you love me,_  
_And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!  
(Danny Boy, Federick Weatherly, 1913)_

Not another sound was made as the sisters sang the Irish ballad and it seemed to wrap around the congregation and flow through them. When they finished, there were a few seconds of silence, then whistles and applause for the singers. Tessie just smiled as her sisters stood up and took a bow, finally pulling her off the wooden bench to join them. Quickly the beat picked up again, and the noise grew back to its boisterous levels of unhindered joy.

_Whiskey is the life of man,__  
__whiskey from an old tin can,__  
__I like whiskey hot and strong__  
__and I'll drink whiskey all day long,__  
__whiskey-oh, Johnny-oh, rise it up from down below__  
__whiskey-oh, Johnny-oh, rise it up from down below__  
__whiskey-oh, Johnny-oh, whiskey, whiskey, whiskey-oh,__  
__up aloft this yard must go__  
__come rise him up from down below.  
_(Whiskey Johnny, Bob Roberts, 1950)

Tessie grabbed his hand and pulled him up to dance with others. He couldn't help but laugh as he swept her into his arms and started dancing. The pace was fast, and the sparks flying up from the fire made it feel like they were in a world of their own until the song finally ended. She was out of breath but glowing with happiness.

Mike looked around at the group. They were loud, opinionated, uninhibited, and the total opposite of anything he had grown up with. The one thing that was clear though? They were family. Another hush fell over the group as one of the men stood up to sing, the only accompanist was a violinist.

_Seal da rabhas im' mhaighdean shéimh,  
'S anois im' bhaintreach chaite thréith,  
Mo chéile ag treabhadh na dtonn go tréan  
De bharr na gcnoc is i n-imigcéin._

_He couldn't understand the Gaelic words, but it was a beautiful song. When the chorus started, everyone was singing with him, and Mike almost caught his breath. Tessie leaned against him as she sang, tears in her eyes._

_'Sé mo laoch, mo Ghile Mear,  
'Sé mo Chaesar, Ghile Mear,  
Suan ná séan ní bhfuaireas féin  
Ó chuaigh i gcéin mo Ghile Mear.  
_(Mo Ghile Mear, by Sean Clarach Mac Domhnaill, 18th Century)

When the song was over, Tessie whispered how they needed to go because they both worked in the morning. He was shocked when she said it was already midnight. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, but tonight made it worth it.

"We have to say our goodbyes," she told him.

Thankfully, they didn't have to say goodbye to every single family member, just her parents. Her father was pretty much drunk, but still polite and gave her a big hug. Her mother, this time seemed more reserved and wished them a safe journey back to the city. There was some native language that was exchanged, and Tessie didn't seem exactly pleased by what her mother had to say. Mike wrote it off to too much food and drink, and a very late hour. When they climbed in his truck, he reached out for her hand and leaned over to kiss her.

"Thank you for inviting me. I had a great time."

She smiled back at him. "I'm glad you did, and I'm glad you came too."

"Why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful voice?"

"I sing in the church sometimes, but I don't like doing it in public. My family is different, though. We sing for each other all the time."

Sliding over to him, she leaned against his arm, and the rest of the trip was pretty quiet. When they reached her place, he opened her door then walked to her apartment. Putting her arms around his neck, she gave him a passionate kiss.

"Thank you, Michael. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. I'll call you tomorrow."

* * *

Johnny sat on the back porch with Lily on the swing in the slightly cooler evening air. All the stars were out, and the crescent moon provided a little additional light in the quiet. She leaned against him, holding his hand.

"It was a perfect day, thank you."

He kissed the top of her head. "It was."

"Can every day just be like this?"

He chuckled softly. "Sure, as long as we don't have bills to pay or need to eat."

Her hand rubbed his chest. "Food is so overrated." She giggled.

"Still able to come this weekend to Mike's race with us?"

She nodded. "Andie's going to keep Matty so we can leave anytime you want."

"Great. It's going to be fun."

"Fun," she laughed. "Dirt, mud, loud motorcycles. What's not to love?"

Reaching down, he tickled her, sending her into a fit of giggles. "Stop…." She laughed.

"Don't doubt my ideas of fun," he teased her.

"Okay, okay…just stop…"

He shifted her until she climbed up on his lap, facing him, his hand on her face and in her hair. "It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we do it together, I'll be happy."

Leaning in, she kissed him with deep passion. "I know it has been a long couple of weeks, but I appreciate your patience with me."

He shook his head as he brushed her hair back. "It's not patience."

She smiled. "No?"

"Of course not. I love you when you're happy, sad, dealing with something painful when things aren't so easy." He smiled and raised his brow. "I will always love you, and I'll always be here for you."

* * *

_A/N: It was hard to stop youtubing Irish music and write. Such incredibly fun and hauntingly beautiful music. I encourage you to look up the songs and listen to them, especially the slow songs. _

Dueling Banjos, 1954, made famous by Deliverance (I listened to Glen Campbell and Carl Jackson, 1973).


End file.
